Manchester United have reportedly registered their interest in Eintracht Frankfurt’s stunning French striker Hugo Ekitike this summer.
Manchester United are aiming to strengthen their forward line this summer after a disappointing 2024/25 season that saw them finish 15th in the Premier League, with a lack of attacking threat proving to be a major issue.
Bruno Fernandes led the scoring with 19 goals, while Alejandro Garnacho and Amad each contributed 11. Rasmus Højlund chipped in with 10, but no other player managed to reach double figures in all competitions.
United have already signed Matheus Cunha from Wolves, and there is growing confidence that they will also complete the signing of Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo.
Despite this, the club are still pushing to sign a new central striker. Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyökeres is a standout option, having scored 97 goals in 102 matches for the Portuguese side, with 66 of those coming in just 68 games under Rúben Amorim.
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With rumours swirling that Arsenal are the current front runners to sign Gyökeres this summer, United are turning to other potential options to fix their current striker issue.
With Liam Delap having signed for Chelsea over United earlier in the window, United have now made contact with Eintracht Frankfurt over the possibility of signing Hugo Ekitike this summer.
This is according to Sky Germany transfer specialist Florian Plettenberg, who claims that United have now registered “concrete interest” in the French striker.
The 22-year-old centre-forward enjoyed a stunning season in Germany last campaign, scoring 22 goals and providing 12 assists.
According to Plettenburg, United have gathered all the relevant information about the player who Chelsea have been seriously interested in across the last few months, although Liveprool are also thought to remain keen amid the potential departure of Darwin Nunez.
How much would Ekitike cost this summer?
Unfortunately for United, signing Ekitike may be a player they would have to look to break the bank for if they want to capture the 22-year-old from Chelsea’s grasp.
Plettenberg has reported that the player would cost United around £85 million this summer, which would put him third in United’s all-time list of top purchases, after Paul Pogba and Antony.
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United have already distanced themselves from signing £63 million-rated Victor Osimhen this summer due to the combination of his fee and wages. However, the club may be drawn into paying such a high fee for either Osimhen or Ekitike later this month, if the funds allow.
United want to sell Antony, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, and Tyrell Malacia for in excess of £100 million this summer.
If they were also to offload Garnacho and Rasmus Højlund from their ranks, this could take United’s transfer budget to above £200 million, which may give them the headway they need to secure such a premium striker.
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