Arsenal have stepped up their interest in Eintracht Frankfurt attacker Hugo Ekitike, with club bosses growing increasingly frustrated in pursuit of their primary attacking targets.
The Gunners are intent on signing an out-and-out number nine this summer having received widespread criticism for their inactivity over the last two transfer windows.
The loss of both Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus to injury last season only amplified calls for Arsenal to strengthen in the transfer market and there is mounting pressure on sporting director Andrea Berta to find a solution up front.
Viktor Gyokeres, 27, has been placed at the top of Arsenal’s wishlist on the back of an exceptional season in Portuguese football, in which he scored 54 goals in 52 games to help Sporting win a domestic double.
However, Sporting’s flat-out refusal to lower their demands for Gyokeres has complicated Arsenal’s pursuit of the prolific Swede, prompting the Gunners to strongly consider RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko as an alternative.
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But Arsenal have encountered similar difficulties in their attempts to hash out a deal for Sesko, 22, with Leipzig rejecting the north Londoners’ opening bid worth around (£46.8m) – plus €10m (£8.5m) add-ons – for the Slovenia international.
It’s understood the Bundesliga outfit are holding out for an offer of between €80m and €100m (£68m and £85m) for their star striker.
According to German publication Bild, this has led Arsenal to ‘suddenly’ turn their attentions to Ekitike, who enjoyed an eye-catching first full season with Eintracht last term.
The report claims Ekitike is a ‘serious’ option at the Emirates and the 23-year-old Frenchman will come to the fore should the Gunners give up hope of landing either Gyokeres or Sesko.
As has been the case with both Gyokeres and Sesko, though, Ekitike’s asking price could prove problematic as Eintracht are said to be demanding an eye-watering fee of €100m (£85m) from potential suitors.
‘If the price isn’t right, then he’ll just stay with us,’ Eintracht sporting directorMarkus Krosche told Wiesbadener Kurier when quizzed on Ekitike’s future earlier this month.
‘We don’t have to sell Hugo.’
While Krosche has refused to rule out the possibility that Ekitike could leave, he insists a sale will only be possible Eintracht’s demands for the ‘exceptional’ striker are met in full this summer.
‘He’s one of the most interesting strikers on the European market,’ he added.
‘Hugo has to decide that [his future]. I’m glad we have him.
‘If he decides otherwise, that’s our belief: if a player develops faster than us, then we let him go – as long as our demands are met.’
‘Hugo is an exceptional player who played a major role in our qualification for the Champions League,’ he added.
‘He certainly still has a lot of potential for development as he’s only 22 years old.’
Ekitike – who has also attracted interest from Liverpool and Chelsea in recent months – is tied into a contract at Eintracht until June 2029.