West Ham United in bid to sign Hugo Ekitike amid £69m PSG development
West Ham face Premier League competition as they target a move for Paris Saint-Germain striker Hugo Ekitike, according to The Mirror.
The newspaper reported in its print edition (4 August, page 55) that David Moyes’ side have joined the chase for the 21-year-old, as they look to replace Italian striker Gianluca Scamacca.
Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest are also interested in the Frenchman, who has previously rejected Newcastle on two separate occasions.
PSG signed Ekitike for £29million from Reims but are now set to target Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos in a deal worth up to £69million, which could push the young forward down the pecking order.
Game time
When Ekitike rejected Newcastle, he was most likely focused on making a name for himself in France with PSG. However, with Ramos now set to arrive, that could become more ticky and the French Under-20 star might need to look elsewhere for consistent game time.
And the Premier League would be a fantastic option for that, despite the youngster previously rejecting a move to England’s top flight.
Moyes is in desperate need of some fresh options going forward and Ekitike would be an extremely exciting addition for the Hammers. During the 2021/22 campaign, he scored 10 goals and provided four assists for Remis in Ligue 1, in 1,275 minutes on the pitch.
He is a promising talent, who is already a French champion at the age of just 21 and could develop into a special player if given game time week-in and week-out at the London Stadium.
This is one to keep an eye on.
In other West Ham news, Southampton manager Russell Martin has provided an update on if James Ward-Prowse will play for the Saints again.