West Ham in Hugo Ekitike transfer hunt as Eintracht Frankfurt ‘rub hands’
West Ham United are already laying the groundwork to strengthen their squad in the summer with Eintracht Frankfurt hitman Hugo Ekitike firmly on their radar.
Graham Potter signed Evan Ferguson on loan from Brighton to address his goalscoring problems at the end of the winter transfer window.
However, with the Ireland international’s deal set to expire in just over four months, West Ham are already on the hunt for a long-term solution up front.
With the centre-forward position a major cause of headache for the East London outfit, they cannot afford any slip-ups in their recruitment this time around and that is perhaps why they have begun their search early.
West Ham want Hugo Ekitike
The Hammers are in the running to sign Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer, according to Foot Mercato.
The French outlet reported via their website on 18 February that West Ham were keeping tabs on the 22-year-old even before he joined the Bundesliga club from Paris Saint-Germain permanently last summer.
Potter’s side, though, face competition from Premier League rivals Arsenal and Liverpool for the centre-forward.
As for Frankfurt, they are rubbing their hands over the prospect of selling Ekitike for a hefty transfer fee.
The German club have set their sights on selling the Frenchman for at least £66.4million in 2026, although a summer sale has not been ruled out.
Hammers to sign ‘special’ Hugo Ekitike
Having followed Ekitike for a long time, West Ham may finally make a move to sign him ahead of the 2025-26 season.
The striker has been in red-hot form for Frankfurt this season, bagging 17 goals and six assists in 32 appearances across all competitions, which means he would command a hefty sum.
The Irons, though, would be getting a “special” player, as described by Oscar Garcia, who managed him at Stade Reims for 26 games across all competitions (beIN Sports via ChronicleLive, June 2022).
It is worth noting that Frankfurt signed Ekitike from PSG for £13.7m last summer after initially bringing him on loan for £2.9m.
It, therefore, remains to be seen what is the lowest amount the German club are willing to accept for the striker this summer.