Eintracht Frankfurt CEO Markus Krosche has insisted the German club are under no pressure whatsoever to sanction the sale of Hugo Ekitike this summer, even as he continues to be linked with a move to Manchester United.
United are on the hunt for a striker after a toothless 2024/25 campaign that saw them finish in 15th position and with a -10 goal difference.
Goals were hard to come by for Ruben Amorim’s side and solving this problem appears to be the Portuguese coach’s primary objective. After confirming the arrival of Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers, United are now set to press ahead with plans to sign a striker in addition to getting a deal for Bryan Mbeumo over the line.
A recent report covered by The Peoples Person relayed that Ekitike is a player United hold an interest in.
It was stated that in the past few hours, United reached out to Frankfurt to ask about Ekitike and the possibility of doing a deal.
Frankfurt are believed to want an astronomical £85million for the 22-year-old, who has rediscovered himself in the Bundesliga.
Following a challenging stint at Paris Saint-Germain, Ekitike appears to have rediscovered his form, registering an impressive 22 goals and 12 assists in 48 appearances across all competitions in the recently concluded season.
In addition to United, the Frenchman is also believed to be on the radar of Chelsea and Liverpool.
Chelsea seem to be leading the race for Ekitike, having been in talks with Frankfurt for several weeks as they work toward reaching an agreement on the fee.
However, so far, Frankfurt have shown an unwillingness to compromise on their £85million valuation and now, Krosche has warned suitors that if their asking price is not met, Ekitike will not be leaving.
The Frankfurt CEO told Wiesbadener Kurier, “If the price isn’t right, then he’ll just stay with us.”
“We don’t have to sell Hugo.”
If United are serious about Ekitike, they may be able to fund a deal by offloading the likes of Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia. Selling these players would free up additional funds to invest in signings aligned with Amorim’s vision.
Featured image Alex Grimm via Getty Images
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
