Arsenal eyeing transfer move for £66m Bundesliga striker

Arsenal are keeping close tabs on Hugo Ekitike and could test Eintracht Frankfurt’s resolve with a bid to sign the striker in the summer transfer window.

Ekitike’s goalscoring exploits as a youngster with Reims convinced Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain to part with €35million (£29m) for the forward’s services in 2023.

But Ekitike struggled to make a significant impact in the first half of last season under Luis Enrique and the attacker joined Eintracht Frankfurt – initially on loan – with a view to boosting his first-team minutes.

A return of four goals in 14 league appearances earned Ekitike a permanent move to Eintracht Frankfurt last summer and the 22-year-old has been nothing short of a revelation in the Bundesliga this term.

Ekitike has racked up 12 goals and three assists in his opening 20 games in the German top flight and his performances have not gone unnoticed in the Premier League.

According to Foot Mercato, Arsenal are among the teams monitoring Ekitike’s progress and ‘appreciate his profile’, with the Gunners on the hunt for a centre-forward after missing out in January.

Liverpool and West Ham are also said to be in the running. The Hammers have been interested in Ekitike for some time and first looked at capturing the Frenchman in 2023 before PSG beat them to the signing.

While Ekitike and his family are settled in Frankfurt, it’s claimed the Bundesliga outfit are already looking to the future and the funds they could generate by offloading their star striker.

The report adds Eintracht Frankfurt are likely to demand a fee in the region of €80m (£66m) for the France Under-21 international and the idea is to sell him in 18 months’ time.

Ekitike current contract at Deutsche Bank Park runs through to the summer of 2029.

Arsenal were expected to bring in reinforcements up front last month after a season-ending injury to Gabriel Jesus left Arteta desperately short of options for a potential title charge.

And while Arteta confirmed that the Gunners were activiely working to strengthen, the club failed to make any additions before the January transfer window business closed for business.

Ollie Watkins emerged as Arsenal’s top target as the deadline approached but Aston Villa wasted little time in rejecting their rivals’ offer for the England international.

It remains to be seen if the north Londoners will return with a follow-up bid for Watkins in the summer, with the 29-year-old known to be a lifelong Arsenal fan and ‘open’ to a move.

‘We had a clear intention which is always when a window opens to explore the opportunities to improve our squad,’ Arteta said of Arsenal’s failure to strengthen in attack.

‘With players with injuries, we’ve been impacted and we haven’t achieved it.

‘We are disappointed in that sense but as well we are very aware that we only want to bring certain kinds of players and we have to be very disciplined with that as well.

‘When you try your best and do things, you see the people and we share the same intentions, when you don’t achieve it okay, for sure there are things to learn from it.

‘But you have to move on and that is a piece that was important in the moment, but now we’ve moved on.’

‘It’s in the profile, a player that can make us better. Financially there is a lot of ways, a lot of things that we must stay in the lane that has taken us this far and from there try to improve.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.