Liverpool and Chelsea are also interested in the France Under-21 international.
According to sources, Manchester United is ‘exploring the conditions’ of a possible transfer for one of Europe’s most talented young forwards.
As they continue to grow under Ruben Amorim, United will most likely look for a goalscorer this summer after a poor season in which they scored only 44 goals in 38 Premier League games.
They have been heavily connected with a deal for Sporting attacker Viktor Gyokeres, who worked under Amorim at Sporting. In fact, Fabrizio Romano said this week that United had established “new contacts” on a potential transfer for the youngster.
However, in an unexpected turn of events, United are reportedly discussing the terms of a prospective trade for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike.
Ekitike, who helped the Bundesliga team qualify for the Champions League by scoring 22 goals and assisting 13 times last season, is now one of the most sought-after strikers in football.
Liverpool are “seriously” interested in signing the France U21 international, according to Sky reporter Florian Plettenburg, who provided a new update on Thursday afternoon that includes United.
“Manchester United have now officially entered the race for Hugo Ekitike,” he posted on X (previously Twitter). “#MUFC made contact with Eintracht Frankfurt within the last 48 hours, expressed concrete interest, and gathered all relevant information.”
Plettenburg went on: “Liverpool and Chelsea remain in the race – and now Man United are in as well.”
Frankfurt, meanwhile, is asking a compensation of roughly £85 million for Ekitike, who has four years left on his contract at the Waldstadion.
The news about United and Ekitike broke shortly after Arsenal made its first concrete proposal for wantaway Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres.
According to Portuguese daily Record, Arsenal made an offer for the 27-year-old Swede during a meeting in Spain on Wednesday.
The meeting was attended by Arsenal’s sports director Andrea Berta, a Premier League lawyer, and sports’s general director of football, Bernardo Palmeiro.
However, according to A Bola, the offer submitted to Sporting was rejected because it fell “slightly below” the €60 million + €10 million number given by Sporting president Frederico Varandas, who insisted he would not leave for that amount.
The story goes on to say that this was only the first round of negotiations, and the Gunners “want to close this process with some urgency”.
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