Manchester United’s pursuit of a new striker this summer has been frustrating and riddled with near misses.
The club began the window with interest in Liam Delap, holding talks with Ipswich before the youngster chose to join Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea.
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Then came Viktor Gyokeres, a long-standing target since Ruben Amorim’s arrival.
The Swede now looks set to join Arsenal in the coming days.
Victor Osimhen was another name on United’s radar, however Galatasaray remain firm on signing the striker permanently.
With three major targets slipping away, United’s shortlist is shrinking.
Hugo Ekitike is also under consideration, having enjoyed a breakout season with Eintracht Frankfurt – scoring 15 goals and providing 8 assists in the Bundesliga.
And now, there has been another major development which may well see the Red Devils lose out on another striker target.
Newcastle United are now working on a deal worth around £65m (€75m) to sign Ekitike, according to David Ornstein’s report for The Athletic.
While an agreement is not yet close, talks between the two clubs are ongoing, with the Magpies aiming to beat their previous transfer record.
Their record being the £62m (€71.2m) paid for Alexander Isak in 2022.
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Ekitike is no stranger to Newcastle interest, having come close to a £20m+ move in January 2022 before the deal collapsed on deadline day.
Despite turning down that switch at the time, Newcastle have kept tabs on the forward ever since.
News also circulated throughout Monday afternoon of Ekitike’s agent meeting in Newcastle with Magpies’ hierarchy to finalise the deal.
After initially joining Frankfurt on loan from PSG, the 23-year-old made the move permanent in 2024 for €17.5m, and exploded in form this past season.
Ekitike also impressed in Europe, scoring in the Europa League semi-final against eventual winners Tottenham Hotspur.
He’s currently under contract with Frankfurt until 2029, but a big-money move this summer looks increasingly likely.
Another huge blow for United, who may be entering the new 2025/26 season without a polished striker.
