West Ham United are interested in signing Paris Saint-Germain striker Hugo Ekitike this month, according to HITC.
The news outlet reported on 8 January that the Hammers along with Fulham, Wolves and Crystal Palace are all keen on signing the Frenchman this month, branded “excellent” (TNT Sports, 31 January 2022) and a player of “huge potential” by his former youth manager at Reims.
It is believed Eintracht Frankfurt showed interest in the player again before they signed Wolves forward Sasa Kalajdzic this past week but Ekitike wants a move to England with Paris Saint-Germain confirming he can leave the club on loan.
The Hammers have long been linked with Ekitike (ESPN, 21 December) and PSG’s decision to send him out loan this month should allow the club the chance to sign him.
It’s a good deal to consider given West Ham can try him on a short-term six-month loan and then buy him over the summer if the loan has proven successful.
West Ham are desperately short on options in attack right now and potentially face a new blow on Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta after they both picked up a knock [The Mirror, 8 January] against Bristol City on Sunday.
Michail Antonio may be out for the rest of January and there may not be enough funds to buy a striker outright so signing a prodigy as gifted as Ekitike may be the best call right now.
Ekitike could be an extremely useful asset for West Ham as he ranked at some point this season within the top 3% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for assists per 90, as well as the highest 24% for successful take-ons per 90.
Whatever Moyes’ plan, the attacker could be a pivotal piece of depth for a side searching for more European glory and a higher domestic finish this season.
Leave a Reply