Man Utd ahead of Chelsea & Liverpool after direct talks to sign 22-goal striker - report

Manchester United have moved ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea in the pursuit of Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, according to Bild.

The Red Devils have had a busy start to the summer. They have already bolstered their attacking department.

Matheus Cunha was officially unveiled last week. The club are also in negotiations with Brentford for Bryan Mbeumo.

A marquee striker is another priority. Bild claim United are the only club in direct talks with Eintracht for Ekitike.

Chelsea and Liverpool are also in the race for the French striker, but United have made ‘initial contact’ with the Bundesliga giants.

The Red Devils are ‘serious’ about signing the former Paris Saint-Germain marksman. Ekitike is likewise open to a move to Old Trafford.

Eintracht CEO Marcus Krosche is friends with United’s director of football Christopher Vivell, but the price tag for Ekitike ‘stays the same’ – £85 million.

United unlikely to afford Ekitike at the current price

The Red Devils tried to find a quick solution with Liam Delap. The English striker was available for just £30m after Ipswich Town were relegated from the Premier League.

However, Chelsea managed to win the race for him. Delap preferred a move to the west London outfit with the opportunity to play Champions League football next season.

Ekitike has now emerged as a potential alternative after Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres also turned down a move to the club. The Swede prefers to join Premier League rivals Arsenal.

The 22-year-old had an impressive 2024/25 campaign with Eintracht in Germany. He scored 22 goals and provided 12 assists from 48 appearances across all competitions.

Ekitike also impressed with his hold-up play and link-up play. He possesses a good physical presence and would be a quality upgrade on Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee.

However, we simply don’t see the Red Devils making a significant outlay of £85m on the striker, even if Eintracht are prepared to accept a long-term payment plan for his sale.

The club have been guilty of spending over the odds on emerging talents who have failed to meet expectations. Unless the price is lowered to £60m, we don’t anticipate United to negotiate terms.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com

Article written by Sri Aswin .