West Ham United may miss out on the acquisition of PSG wonderkid Hugo Ekitike as he lines up a move to Eintracht Frankfurt, according to a tweet from French sports media outlet Sports Zone.
West Ham had put forth an offer of around £34 million for the player and he was thought to be close to agreeing personal terms with the Hammers – but it seems he will be moving to the Bundesliga instead of the Premier League in the ongoing summer transfer window.
Despite this, while Ekitike is thought to be interested in a potential move to Frankfurt, he reportedly does not ‘appreciate being a bargaining chip’.
In Sports Zone’s tweet, they wrote [translated from French]: “Hugo Ekitike had almost agreed with West Ham, who aligned themselves with Everton’s offer (35M € + 5M € bonus). Nevertheless, Paris is pushing him towards Frankfurt as revealed in March. He doesn’t appreciate being a bargaining chip but the project interests him.”
Who else, besides West Ham United, is interested in a move for Hugo Ekitike?
As reported by Sports Zone, Ekitike has also been linked with a move to Everton (as well as Frankfurt). Like the Hammers, the Toffees also submitted an offer for the player, which amounted to around £34 million (the same value as West Ham’s offer).
Everton and Frankfurt aren’t the only other two clubs who are thought to be interested in the player, however. Brentford, Borussia Dortmund, Newcastle United, Fulham and Juventus have all been linked with a move for Ekitike in recent months.
What would Hugo Ekitike bring to the squad?
Should West Ham United seal a deal to bring Ekitike to the London Stadium, they would end up with a real gem on their hands. He is only 21 – but nevertheless, he has shown bags of potential over the course of his fledgling professional career.
At 6ft 2, he cuts an imposing figure up top – he is also very quick, making him an archetypal modern Premier League striker – additionally, he can also play on the left wing. Last season, while playing for PSG, he scored three goals and notched up four assists in 25 games.