According to The Express, Fulham have an interest in Reims striker Hugo Ekitike.
The French teenager has been something of a hit in Ligue 1 this season. He’s grabbed nine league goals in just 21 appearances and been described as ‘very special’ in the process.
Ekitike is a player that has burst onto the scene over the past 12 months, and as you may imagine, he’s worked his way onto the radar of many top clubs, including, Newcastle, Liverpool and Tottenham.
Fulham will have an uphill task on their hands if they want to land Ekitike. After all, Newcastle are reportedly very keen and are now the richest club in the world.
However, Fulham have pulled off blockbuster deals in the past. They’ve had the likes of Dimitar Berbatov and Edwin van der Sar on their books, while in 2018 they took Jean-Michael Seri right from under the noses of Barcelona.
Fulham do have history of scouting the French market. In fact, their two club-record signings – Seri and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa both came from Ligue 1, so it’s clear to see that Tony Khan and his recruitment team believe there is value to be had in France.
After such a promising season, Ekitike surely won’t come cheaply, and if Fulham sign him, it would be interesting to see the type of role he has in the squad.
One would imagine Aleksandar Mitrovic is untouchable after scoring 41 goals in the Championship, so would Ekitike play second-fiddle to the Serbian? Or would Marco Silva potentially adjust his system to play two strikers?
Ekitike is an interesting player for Fulham to be looking at, and at the age of just 19, he could be Mitrovic’s long-term successor at Craven Cottage.
This is certainly a player to keep an eye on as the summer transfer window approaches.
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