Hugo Ekitike latest: Man United “still there” but face strong competition from two rival Premier League clubs | OneFootball

Manchester United are reportedly still keeping tabs on Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, but they’re not the only English club eyeing him.

United on the hunt for a striker

Heading into the summer transfer window, adding goals to the team was Ruben Amorim’s priority agenda. This has partially been achieved by the acquisition of Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

United are also still in talks with Brentford over a deal for Bryan Mbeumo, after having two bids for the Cameroonian rejected.

But United’s ambitions don’t end there, with a new striker also being pursued. Rasmus Hojlund endured another difficult season and it’s evidently clear that the Dane can’t be relied upon to consistently lead the line for the team.

Having missed out on their first-choice target Liam Delap, who chose Chelsea instead, United have had to broaden their search, which explains their interest in Ekitike.

United enquire about Ekitike

Last month, a report covered by The Peoples Person relayed that United had established contact with Frankfurt over the possibility of doing a deal for Ekitike.

The German side are believed to want a sum of £85m for Ekitike, although there have been suggestions that he could be attained for significantly less than that. A £63m fee could be enough to convince Frankfurt to let Ekitike go.

There have been claims that United have also held discussions with Ekitike’s camp. These negotiations were described as positive, hinting that the player would be keen to seal a switch to Old Trafford if an agreement is struck with his employers.

Ekitike enjoyed was superb last term, netting 22 goals and providing an additional 12 assists across all competitions.

The former Paris Saint-Germain man managed an impressive 3.21 shots per game and fashioned 19 big chances, highlighting just how effective and dangerous he was.

United still in the running for Ekitike but will have to ward off competition

According to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, United remain interested in the Frenchman, but they will have to be wary of competition from Liverpool and Newcastle.

Plettenberg wrote on X, “Eintracht Frankfurt would like to keep Hugo Ekitike, also to be well prepared for the Champions League.”

“However, Eintracht are expecting offers this month. Liverpool remain a concrete option.”

“Newcastle have renewed their interest. Manchester United still there. Chelsea are currently unlikely due to the transfer of João Pedro. His price tag is €100m.”

Plettenberg points out that, for now, it’s wide open and no one really knows where Ekitike will end up.

Featured image Christof Koepsel via Getty Images

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