Hugo Ekitike next club odds: Arsenal join the race to sign

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have been linked with several names already during the summer transfer window. It seems likely they will get deals done for midfielders Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard from Real Sociedad and Brentford, respectively. 

However, the London outfit continue to chase a striker. It’s no coincidence that they have lacked an out-and-out striker for three years and have finished runners-up in each of these seasons. 

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As such, Arteta has been going after players to fit this mould. Victor Gyokeres of Sporting Lisbon and Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko have been strongly linked, and The Gunners remain odds-on favourites to sign both players. 

Amid reports that Sesko wants more money than Arsenal are willing to pay, and the continued spat between Gyokeres and Sporting, Arteta is casting his net further. They have been linked with Newcastle’s Isak, although Liverpool remain the strong favourites if the player decides to leave St. James Park. 

Another name that has now been mooted is that of Hugo Ekitike. The 23-year-old Eintracht Frankfurt player scored 15 goals in 33 appearances in the league last season, with a further seven goals in other competitions. Although he is young and untested in the Premier League, he has shown he can be a prolific striker. 

The combination of goalscoring ability and his young age has seen a price of up to £80m or more – a fee that Arsenal may be loath to pay, but that has also been described as being a bargain for a young player of this calibre. 

However, Arsenal won’t have everything their own way, even if they do decide to stump up the cash. In fact, they are considered 14/1 outsiders to procure the signature. 

The French international has drawn interest from elsewhere, including in the Premier League. 

Champions Liverpool are the current favourites to get his signature, at a price of 7/4. The Reds have already splashed more than £150m this summer, but analysts claim they are still well within FFP rules – they could be willing to spend another £80m on a future star.

Also interested in his signature are Manchester United, who, like Arsenal, have striker problems of their own. Mbeumo looks a more likely signature for The Red Devils, and bookmakers have stopped taking bets on that transfer. 

But if the Manchester club fail with their second bid, as has been reported, they may look to invest in Ekitike instead. As such, they’ve been given odds of 5/2 on securing his signature this summer.

Also ahead of Arsenal, at least in the eyes of bookmakers, are Chelsea. The Blues have already signed Liam Delap, snatching him from under the nose of Ruben Amorim at Man Utd, and they have been linked with PSG’s Randal Kolo Muani. 

Although they may be reluctant to stump up £80m in cash, the Stamford Bridge club could wait for a cut-price deal later in the window and have been given odds of 9/2 to secure his signature. 

Odds on Hugo Ekitike’s next club, correct at the time of writing, from Ladbrokes: