Ekitike transfer: Man Utd discover hefty price tag as Frankfurt issue statement

Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike has emerged as a candidate for Manchester United as they aim to add to their attacking options but it could be a costly deal for the Red Devils to do

Manchester United will have to pay £60m to sign Hugo Ekitike this summer. A striker is on the Red Devils’ shopping list all summer following some serious goalscoring issues last term.

A number of candidates have been mentioned as potential recruits but so far, United have been left frustrated in their attempts to sign a new forward. They were originally interested in a move for Liam Delap, only for Chelsea to steam in and seal a deal for £30m.

Viktor Gyokeres also had admirers at Old Trafford but as it stands, the Sporting Lisbon star prefers a move to Premier League rivals Arsenal - although they might not prefer him, amid their interest in Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig.

That has forced United to look elsewhere, and, as first reported by The Times, they are interested in a move for Frankfurt forward Ekitike and could compete with Liverpool for his signature. But a deal won’t be cheap.

The Bundesliga side have slapped a minimum £60m price tag on the Frenchman after his excellent breakthrough season. But given they are also under no pressure to sell having earned around £63million in January from Omar Marmoush’s move to Manchester City and having done some outstanding business in recent windows - particularly when it comes to strikers - that figure may well rise as we move forwards through the summer window.

Even then, paying big might not be enough. Because Frankfurt have already warned they may simply eschew options out there and decide to keep Ekitike and build around him next season.

Frankfurt chief Markus Krosche has already made clear they will not undersell their star asset. He said: “If the price isn’t right, then he’ll simply stay with us. We don’t have to sell Hugo.”

"He's one of the most interesting strikers on the European market. Hugo has to decide that," added at the end of the season. "I'm glad we have him. If he decides otherwise, that's our motto: If a player develops faster than us, we let him go."

Ekitike, 22, joined Frankfurt permanently from Paris Saint-Germain last summer following a loan spell with the side. He scored 22 goals in all competitions last season.

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Ironically, the young forward has already dropped a hint over his future amid interest from Man United and Liverpool. He revealed that he was once a childhood Red Devils fan.

Speaking in December last year, he said: “My favourite club as a child was Manchester United. I’ve always admired them."

Away from Ekitike, Man United are also chasing the signing of Bryan Mbeumo. The Brentford forward has already expressed his desire to move to Old Trafford this summer but a switch might not be straightforward. Tottenham are also keen, with ex-Brentford boss Thomas Frank targeting a reunion in North London.