Manchester United are moving fast in the transfer window as they have already snapped up Matheus Cunha from Wolves and are also strongly linked with Brentford’s Bryan Mbuemo. They are also linked with several other players as the Red Devils are all set to go through an overhaul under Ruben Amorim.
United are still desperate to sign a high-profile striker after last season’s combined struggle of Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund in front of goal. They have been strongly linked with Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres mainly because of Amorim’s great relationship with the Swedish marksman.
However, a new name has popped up in the striker’s shortlist for Manchester United. As per Sky Sports Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, the Red Devils have entered the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike.
The young Frenchman has attracted a lot of interest from Premier League clubs following his sensational season with Frankfurt. Clubs like Liverpool and Chelsea are also linked with the youngster and now United are also joining the battle for the 22-year-old striker.
Manchester United have reportedly made good progress for Ekitike in the last couple of days and they have gathered all the required information for the Frankfurt marksman, who is extremely versatile and can also slot in on the flanks with aplomb.
As per several reports, Chelsea are leading the race for the 22-year-old. But the Blues are now focusing on the FIFA Club World Cup and therefore have kept the pursuit on hold. But they will look to push for a move once the tournament ends.
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What is the contract situation for Ekitike and how much could be asking fee?
Frankfurt are demanding an eye watering £85m (€100m) asking fee for Ekitike as he coming off a blazing campaign for the Eagles. He mustered 22 goals and 12 assists in 48 appearances last season for Frankfurt across all competitions.
He is someone who instantly elevates the level of his teammates playing around him with his on the ball ability. He can score goals and also facilitate for the wingers and midfielders. he is extremely versatile and can drop deep or even shift wide to incorporate other players in a particular system.
Ekitike has four years left in his contract and therefore Frankfurt are in no hurry to sell as they are also keen to hold on to the 22-year-old Frenchman.
However, sources close to Chelsea and United suggest that the clubs are confident that a bid in the region of £65-70 million may wrap up the deal for the youngster.
While it is good that United are being proactive in the transfer market, they at first need to sell players to free up funds for a big transfer like this. They have already landed Cunha and if Mbuemo joins the club, he will also come at a substantial fee.
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