Manchester United are in the market for a new striker this summer and could splash the cash in the German market.
Ruben Amorim now has a shot at taking Manchester United to the Europa League final in Bilbao.
United beat Lyon 5-4 on Thursday night, roaring back from 4-2 down to claim a remarkable victory.
United now meet Athletic Club in the semi-finals, with Tottenham Hotspur against Bodo/Glimt on the other side of the draw.
Eintracht Frankfurt have missed out having lost 1-0 at home to Tottenham on Thursday night, with United no doubt watching from afar.
Reports suggest United want Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, but the Frenchman wasn’t able to help the Bundesliga side advance.
Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty ImagesOwen Hargreaves on Hugo Ekitike
Ekitike has been a sensation in the Bundesliga this season, racking up 14 goals and five assists in 28 league games.
The 22-year-old was a top prospect at Reims, but a move to Paris Saint-Germain didn’t quite work out.
Ekitike is now thriving at Eintracht Frankfurt and has even picked up four goals and three assists in 12 Europa League outings.
United are now viewing the Frenchman as a potential addition for Amorim and former Old Trafford ace Owen Hargreaves has praised Ekitike’s talent.
Speaking to TNT Sports, Hargreaves praised Ekitike’s size and technique whilst highlighting his strong link-up play and finishing ability.
Former United midfielder Hargreaves added that Ekitike’s demolition of the England Under-21’s just goes to show his quality, backing him to ‘right to the top’.
“The thing that impresses me about him, even in the warm-up, the size of him and technically, he’s very good, his link-up play is really good, he’s a great finisher, he’s got everything – he looks like the perfect centre forward.
“If you think about the best of the best, England and France have some of the best young talents in the world. They played about a month ago, our England Under-21 team is brilliant – he scored a hat-trick.
“He’s at an incredible level already, he’s gone to PSG, he’s at Frankfurt, he’s going to go right to the top,” he added.
Hugo Ekitike price on the rise
Ekitike couldn’t fire Frankfurt past Tottenham, but did open the scoring in the first leg.
United will have been impressed with Ekitike this season, but that only means his price tag is on the rise.
Reports suggest that Frankfurt now want €100million for Ekitike, which comes out to around £86million.
That price tag has risen by around £20million in recent weeks, with Ekitike’s goals sparking major interest ahead of the summer window.
Frankfurt sold Omar Marmoush to Manchester City in January, but may now rake in more huge money for Ekitike with United keen.