Manchester United Initiates Move to Sign Chelsea-Linked £84m Striker
Manchester United have reportedly entered discussions to secure the signing of Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike, moving ahead of rivals Chelsea and Liverpool, according to German media sources.
While both Chelsea and Liverpool have already shown interest in the 22-year-old this summer, Frankfurt are demanding a hefty transfer fee of €100 million (£84.3 million) for his services.
United, who are looking to bolster their attacking lineup under Ruben Amorim, have already finalized a £62.5 million signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers. Nonetheless, the club is still actively searching for a top-level central striker. Notably, they missed out on Liam Delap, who chose a move to Chelsea instead of joining United.
According to Sky Germany, United have formally contacted Frankfurt in recent days to convey their serious interest in Ekitike and to explore potential terms for a transfer.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are reportedly unwilling to meet Frankfurt’s full valuation and believe Ekitike’s worth is closer to €80 million (£67.4 million).
Meanwhile, BILD reports that although Liverpool are keeping tabs on Ekitike, their primary transfer focus is currently on finalizing a deal with Bayer Leverkusen for Florian Wirtz. Earlier reports from Germany this month revealed that Liverpool had held preliminary discussions over a possible transfer for Ekitike, who concluded the recent season with an impressive tally of 22 goals across all competitions.
Addressing the growing transfer speculation, Frankfurt’s sporting director Markus Krosche emphasized that the club is not in a rush to sell. Speaking to Wiesbadener Kurier, Krosche stated, “If the price isn’t right, then he’ll stay with us. We don’t have to sell Hugo.”
