How Hugo Ekitike could solve Manchester United's striker woes?

The Frenchman has attracted interest from top teams this season.

With his excellent play this season, former Paris Saint-Germain striker Hugo Ekitike is drawing a lot of interest from Premier League teams.

Given how poorly their current options have performed in front of goal, Manchester United are one of the teams interested in signing the striker.

Ekitike, on the other hand, who had his share of problems prior to becoming well-known, will be trying to join a big side in order to further solidify his position.

🚨🆕 Eintracht Frankfurt are aware that Manchester United are seriously considering Hugo #Ekitike as a potential transfer target for the upcoming summer. #MUFCArsenal (Isak remains the No. 1 target), Liverpool, and Juventus have also registered their interest. #LFCEintracht… pic.twitter.com/IEVP6lWegl

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) March 28, 2025

He did play for Paris Saint-Germain, a major team. But because Kylian Mbappe was always in the spotlight, it never worked out for the centre-forward there. Moving away was the best option for him.

It was obvious that Ekitike’s time in the French city was coming to an end. In four Ligue 1 games halfway through the 2022–2023 season, he scored three goals. But he only made 12 starts overall.

Ekitike grudgingly agreed to transfer when Eintracht Frankfurt called again in January 2024 after making just one appearance in Ligue 1 under Luis Enrique during the first half of the season. He hasn’t looked back since.

Making a name for himself at Eintracht Frankfurt

Hugo Ekitike settled into Frankfurt right away. “Eintracht Frankfurt is like a family,” he exclaimed enthusiastically. “We’re all very close.”

The club’s rise to prominence in the Bundesliga has been largely attributed to their unity. With seven games left, Eintracht is now in third place, making UEFA Champions League football a very real goal for Dino Toppmoller’s squad.

Naturally, there were grave worries that their aspirations of finishing in the top four would be dashed by Marmoush’s departure halfway through the season. But Hugo Ekitike is going above and beyond to keep the dream alive.

Since the Egyptian’s departure, he has scored five goals in the Bundesliga and played a key part in last month’s UEFA Europa League second-leg thumping of Ajax, bringing his total to 19 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions.

Is he the right choice for Manchester United?

You may determine that Ekitike has spent the last few years studying Kylian Mbappe‘s approach more than any other player. The 22-year-old’s favourite thing to do is pick the ball up wide on the left side, cut in on his preferred right foot, and attempt to score.

As evidenced by his eight assists throughout all competitions this season, Hugo Ekitike is also not a selfish person. In addition to being willing to go deep to try to make things happen or simply create space for teammates to exploit, he is constantly searching for room to run into down in the inner channels.

However, if Ekitike is to thrive in the Premier League, he’s going to have to improve his finishing. He’s underperforming his xG so far this season. His shot conversion rate in all competitions (15.08 per cent) is well below the level one would expect of an elite No.9.

In recent weeks, though, we’ve seen a slightly different version of Ekitike, as he’s now being asked to play as a lone striker rather than a support striker. It has put the onus on him to score more goals, which will certainly improve his goal-scoring ability.

Ekitike’s efforts to develop his game are undoubtedly having an impact. In last month’s victory over his England, he scored three goals for France’s U21 team, two of which were tap-ins. This is the clearest example so far of his newfound determination to get into the box as frequently and as fast as possible.

Naturally, Manchester United will be hoping that Ekitike’s current affection for the team will influence him. But regardless of who he chooses to sign with next, it now seems certain that he will get the chance to play against his good friend Marmoush again soon—likely in the Premier League next season.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram.