Exclusive: Arsenal and Chelsea target Hugo Ekitike as Alexander Isak alternative | OneFootball

Arsenal and Chelsea are majorly considering Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike as an alternative to Alexander Isak for the forthcoming summer transfer window, CaughtOffside can reveal.

The Frenchman is seen as a cheaper option to the Newcastle hitman, who is not expected to leave Newcastle United should the club achieve a Champions League spot this season.

The Gunners are on the lookout for an elite signing for the No.9 position and, like the Blues, they believe that a deal for Frankfurt could be a cheaper alternative than some of the players out there, such as the aforementioned Isak, and Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig.

However, we understand that Frankfurt are hoping to keep Ekitike for next season at least.

The club has a strong track record of selling strikers for hefty fees, with Omar Marmoush the latest name added to that list following his £59 million to Manchester City. Indeed, Frankfurt believe Ekitike could be the next in line, though they are not in a rush to see him depart.

Alexander Isak is liked by a number of Premier League clubs (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

What has been said about Hugo Ekitike recently?

The club’s sporting director Markus Krosche said recently of Ekitike’s progress: “We are very happy with Hugo’s development. He fits in really well with us and has made great progress in just one year. He already has an exceptional scoring rate. He has the potential to become an absolute top striker in Europe.

“He still has to work on his determination, sometimes he is too playful. We also still have issues when defending the ball. But he is on the right track.”

Frankfurt plans to keep Ekitike at Deutsche Bank Park past the summer, with his contract running until 2029. It’s thought that to see him leave before then, the Bundesliga outfit would ask for a flat fee of £60 million – notwithstanding add-ons.