Manchester United are prepared to rival Liverpool and Chelsea in the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike.
Ekitike is in demand after a brilliant season in the Bundesliga, in which the 22-year-old scored 22 goals in all competitions and provided 12 assists.
His performances helped Frankfurt to Champions League qualification and earned Ekitike a place in the Bundesliga’s Team of the Season.
Hugo Ekitiké 🤤#UEL pic.twitter.com/iJGaIKGH0C
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) June 12, 2025
Chelsea held talks over a potential transfer before the Club World Cup deadline, while Liverpool are also interested in the Frenchman. Sky Germany claim that Manchester United have now entered the race and have ‘expressed concrete interest’ in signing Ekitike.
Ruben Amorim wants to bring in a centre-forward, though a deal could hinge on funds recouped from sales. United have completed the £62.5m signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolves and are pushing to sign Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford for a similar fee.
Sales will be required to fund significant further business, with suitors being sought for Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Alejandro Garnacho.
Frankfurt have placed an asking price of €100m (£85.1m) on Ekitike and are under no pressure to sell.
The forward is contracted until 2029, while Frankfurt’s qualification for the Champions League and €70m January sale of Omar Marmoush to Manchester City has strengthened their position.
Amorim is targeting a forward as United look to bounce back from their worst season since 1974. The Red Devils finished 15th in the Premier League table and scored just 44 goals. Only Everton and the three relegated teams scored fewer goals than United in 2024/25.
Read – Club World Cup: Five exciting young talents to watch
See more – Nike assemble iconic legends lineup for new kit launches