Latest news with #No9s
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Eddie Howe makes concerning Newcastle transfer admission in latest Alexander Isak twist
Eddie Howe says Newcastle are yet to replace Callum Wilson but chances of new arrivals before deadline day are now a case of "hope more than expectation" at St James' Park Eddie Howe says Newcastle remain keen on bringing in new faces over the next fortnight but admits: "It's more hope than expectation." Regardless of Alexander Isak's future, the Toon are keen to bring in a new striker because they are yet to replace Callum Wilson, who left at the end of his contract in June. And late in a window where the majority of their rivals have already welcomed in new No9s, Howe said: "It seems like the striker market gets tighter every year. Maybe that's because we have continued to grow as a team. "There's not many players of that calibre to make us better and when they're potentially available the price seems to go up, and then you are dealt other challenges like PSR, how much you spend in the window, the long-term effects if you do the transfer. "It is not as clear as going out and getting any player. They have got to fit the team, make us better and be affordable. That's not a large group of players." Newcastle had been keen to pursue Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, Hugo Ekitike and Joao Pedro earlier in the summer – only for all four to join other clubs. Howe continued: "We're actively looking in the market. We're working hard to bring players in, more out of hope than expectation." Asked whether there was any development to Isak's situation on Saturday afternoon, Howe added: "Nothing's changed. The door is well and truly open but he has to decide what he wants to do. "We would like a resolution. The ownership, everyone, the players we have, want that clarity. You don't need any distraction. I'm not in control of that. There's only one person in control of that." Asked if he means Isak, Howe added: "Alex is in control of what he does. I'm not in control of him." And in terms of Isak being fined for not being part of the matchday squad, Howe was unable to add clarity when adding: "Other people deal with that issue. I'm concentrating on the team."
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
How Man Utd vs Arsenal will be decided by ‘Flying-V' attack battle – and will Sesko or Gyokeres have bigger impact?
New additions could have transformative impacts on two key creators Deep impact How Man Utd vs Arsenal will be decided by 'Flying-V' attack battle – and will Sesko or Gyokeres have bigger impact? MANCHESTER UNITED and Arsenal lock horns at Old Trafford this weekend, aiming to get their respective seasons off to a flyer. Both sides have spent heavily this summer, including big money on new talismanic centre-forward figures that were ironically linked with the opposite clubs. 7 Man Utd and Arsenal lock horns at Old Trafford in the Premier League opening weekend Credit: Getty 7 But the likes of Benjamin Sesko could be a transformative figure for the United attack Credit: Getty Advertisement 7 While Viktor Gyokeres will introduce new elements to Arsenal's attack as they aim for the title Credit: Alamy Play Dream Team now! Play The Sun Dream Team ahead of the 2025/26 season Free to play Over £100,000 in total prize money Play in Mini Leagues against your mates Submit a team for Gameweek 1 to enter £5,000 prize draw Play via Dream Team's app or website today! The Red Devils' will have Benjamin Sesko, their £74million summer signing from RB Leipzig, leading the line supported by fellow new recruits Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha. Meanwhile, the Gunners have introduced a cannon to their attack in the form of Viktor Gyokeres, with the ever-present Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard providing support. Both sides have their aim on bigger heights than last season, with United looking to bounce back from the lowest point in the Premier League era and Arsenal eyeing up that elusive league title. Advertisement But how will the two teams line up tactically? READ MORE IN FOOTBALL MOR THE MERRIER Utd line up £50m move for Sporting's Morten Hjulmand if Baleba bid fails Thankfully, after 78 days, our Tactics Exposed show, sponsored by Betfair, has returned with SunSport's very own Dean Scoggins back at the table. Below we break down how the opening clash is drawing up between the two Prem titans, and analyse how the match could be decided between the impact of Sesko and Gyokeres. Who will have the bigger impact - Sesko or Gyokeres? Where better to start than with the new No9s. Advertisement How the two sides will set up on paper is pretty well known to everyone: Ruben Amorim will line up in his trademark 3-4-3, while Mikel Arteta will run his side in their traditional 4-3-3 shape. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Thanks to their time together at Sporting Lisbon, Amorim will be intimately familiar with how effective Gyokeres can be. The 27-year-old - who scored 66 goals in 68 games under the Portuguese - will look to drive into the spaces behind the United defence. Cops probe gun plot linked to Arsenal's £64m Viktor Gyokeres signing after double shooting at home of agent's relative This was something Arteta's side desperately missed last season, with top scorer Kai Havertz seeing his season end early through injury. Advertisement In the pre-season clash against Athletic Bilbao, Gyokeres was perfectly comfortable coming deep to link play, and that will free up space for the likes of Saka and Gabriel Martinelli to burst beyond him. This in turn will create a shape like a flying V, with the introduction of the former Coventry ace making Arsenal's attack much tighter. Last season, Arsenal could have certainly been accused of being too slow in getting the ball forward, but this year that is all set to change with the £64m up top. Gyokeres will be able to batter down low blocks by either running behind them or coming deep and attracting defenders, opening up space for his team-mates to exploit with runs from deep or direct passes from the likes of William Saliba or David Raya. In terms of the hosts, after Rasmus Hojlund's disappointing year, a new ace with confidence still in him will do the misfiring United attack the world of good. Advertisement 7 Starting off with the obvious, at 6ft 5", Sesko is a giant who also happens to have one hell of a leap and the pace to match. We haven't seen him in action in a Red Devils shirt yet due to his arrival on being announced last week, but what we can expect is for the home side to also deploy a flying V of their own. But this will be an inverse to Arsenal's V, with Sesko acting as the tip of the spear ahead of Mbeumo and Cunha and the wing-backs and Bruno Fernandes behind them in support. With the lack of a ball-playing midfield addition - needed due to United's slow and tame build up play which saw them often lose the ball in the first third - United will want to go direct into Sesko a lot. Advertisement United have actually already seen the perfect tactical blueprint to expose the Arsenal defence by Paris Saint-Germain last season, with Ousmane Dembele's goal against them in the Champions League. PSG emptied the midfield area to attract the defence out wide, which then made Dembele an free option to pass to as he ran through the middle. In contrast to Arsenal's bombing attacking runners, United's idea will be to get the attack isolated one on one against defenders to then open space for the spare man spinning behind, as is expected of wing-backs Amad Diallo and Patrick Dorgu through third-man runs. Will the 3-4-3 bear fruit? Man Utd's transfer deals IN Bryan Mbeumo - from Brentford - £71m Matheus Cunha - from Wolves - £62.5m Diego Leon - from Cerro Porteno - £7m Benjamin Sesko - from RB Leipzig - £74m TOTAL - £214.5m OUT Victor Lindelof - released Christian Eriksen - released TOTAL - £0m MAN UTD TRANSFER NEWS LIVE Last season it is safe to say Amorim's system flattered to deceive, even if you want to put it down to a lack of personnel who fit the system. But will it be different this time around? It's the million pound question, but the 3-4-3 has actually shown glimpses of taking on a new form in pre-season for United. Advertisement This year we can expect to see far more flexibility in the system, even if they set up in a 3-4-3 on paper. Rotations will be the key term, with the wing-backs creating a swing effect as one wing-back pushes on and the other in turn drops deeper to create a passing option. This will see the right centre-back becoming more of a right-back, with one of the midfielders moving wide to fill the space created by this movement. Put simply, time on the training ground working on the system in pre-season should make the system look far better than what was seen towards the back end of last year. They should be much better, although they do still need a key figure in midfield - such as Carlos Baleba - to bring them to the next level. Advertisement Where will Bruno Fernandes play? 7 Without doubt, Man Utd's best player of last season, Fernandes will once again be a huge figure for the Old Trafford outfit for the upcoming campaign. However, while he has traditionally played as the linchpin of the United offence, the 30-year-old will have a new role as the conductor of the orchestra. Last season, we spoke about how Fernandes was doing too much for United and seemed to have little trust in his team-mates. However, with the arrival of Mbeumo and Cunha, Fernandes should have some of the creative weight lifted from his shoulders. Advertisement There will be two ways of looking at Fernandes' role, depending on who they play against. 7 Teams who press United in a two will see the split centre-backs ensure there is a passing option before the ball gets into Fernandes in the first or middle third. But in pre-season, at times one of the United defenders moved into midfield, with Fernandes then occupying space further forwards, where he can do his best work, as the other attackers also drift wide. This gives defenders a problem over who to pick up, with Fernandes being one of the most dangerous attacking players in the league it hands them a dilemma over whether to pick up him or one of the other United forwards. Advertisement With the defender moving into midfield it also creates a box midfield, which United then being able to have up to six attackers driving forwards. Fernandes' versatility and endurance also means he can acts like a second substitute as he is able to move further forwards later on if one of the other attackers is not having much joy playing. Will Odegaard benefit from Zubimendi's arrival? Arsenal's transfer deals IN Viktor Gyökeres - from Sporting Lisbon - £72m Noni Madueke - from Chelsea - £52m Martin Zubimendi - from Real Sociedad - £51m Christian Norgaard - from Brentford - £15m Cristhian Mosquera - from Valencia - £13m Kepa Arrizabalaga - from Chelsea - £5m TOTAL - £208m OUT Nuno Taveres - to Lazio - £4.4m Marquinhos - to Cruzeiro - £2.6m Jorginho - to Flamengo - free Kieran Tierney - to Celtic - free Takehiro Tomiyasu - released Thomas Partey - released TOTAL - £7m ARSENAL TRANSFER NEWS LIVE By his usually lofty standards, Odegaard, 26, did not have a great season last year. However, the arrival of Martin Zubimendi at Arsenal for £60m could be a transformative figure for Odegaard, and by extension the Gunners attack. It is no secret of where these midfielders will play, with Odegaard one of the attacking No8s alongside Declan Rice and Zubimendi, 26, expected to be the new No6. Advertisement In games where they need to play a double pivot, Zubimendi will simply slot in alongside Rice. But the Spaniard's range of passing will allow Arsenal to stretch the pitch and allow Odegaard to buzz around the pitch to find dangerous spaces. Last season the Gunners were an incredibly lopsided team, with many of their attacks coming down the right flank and the team often being seen in a horseshoe shape in a horrifying attack. One thing which might be a controversial take, is that Arsenal should consider switching Odegaard and Rice to the opposite sides. It will create a new dynamic for the attack on both sides, swapping the bombing runs of Rice to support Saka with the creative passing of Odegaard on the other side for the likes of Martinelli. Advertisement 7 TRANSFER NEWS LIVE - KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST FROM A BUSY SUMMER WINDOW
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Liverpool WON'T win the title - and Man United's glaring weakness could cost them again: IAN LADYMAN shares his Premier League predictions
It's hardly a return to Toshack, Stapleton, Latchford and Birtles, but the summer transfer window has gone some way to reversing a dispiriting recent trend. All of a sudden, the No 9s are back in fashion. With false nines and sometimes no nines such a feature of the recent Premier League landscape, it has appeared at times as though the route to goal was becoming rather more complicated than it really needed to be. At academy level, questions have been asked. Why does nobody cross the ball any more? Now, it seems, we have a small diversion from that road courtesy of a £230million investment in striking talent by Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool. And, as it stands, the defending champions have not even bought Alexander Isak from Newcastle. Not yet. Of Liam Delap, Viktor Gyokeres, Benjamin Sesko and Hugo Ekitike, Chelsea's new signing Delap is the smallest at 6ft 1in. That itself tells the story. Goals are the hardest commodity to buy and, that being the case, the most expensive. At Stamford Bridge, the Emirates and Old Trafford, big money has been spent to fill holes so glaring they have been talked about for months. At Anfield, on the other hand, Arne Slot is trying to build on last season's title success by remodelling an attack that has lost Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and, tragically of course, Diogo Jota. Liverpool start at an obvious advantage in this year's title race. They were the best team by a distance and have strengthened in other areas. If Marc Guehi leaves Crystal Palace to partner Virgil van Dijk at the centre of Liverpool's defence — and if the ugliness surrounding Isak's future culminates in a move to Anfield — then it will start to feel as though everybody else will be playing for second. Realistically, it feels as though only Arsenal can challenge unless something strange happens at Liverpool and Slot's team comes back to the pack. But there is no reason why the Gunners can't find a new gear and they won't be short of motivation. If it doesn't happen this time then it's far from certain that Mikel Arteta —five-and-a-half years into the job at Arsenal — will be invited to stick around and try again. Encouragement for last year's second-placed team is that they were so far from their best in 2024-25 that they must feel they can improve. Arteta needs key players to stay fit, some consistency and, of course, goals from his new centre forward, Gyokeres —signed from Sporting Lisbon for an initial down payment of £55m. If Arsenal can bring that to the table then we will have a race. Liverpool, as we have mentioned, have lost three attacking players and their best passer, Trent Alexander-Arnold. As for Mo Salah, nobody has really seen him since about last March and he was pretty much invisible until missing a penalty in last Sunday's Community Shield. Can the great Egyptian find the levels of the first half of last season at the age of 33? It may be the difference between a successful title defence and something altogether more disappointing. For what it's worth, I fancy Arsenal to pip Liverpool this time, though I said the same last summer. Outside of that, United, Chelsea and perhaps even Manchester City — totally remodelled since this time last year — would appear to have too much to do. Can Pep Guardiola weather an uncertain start at City? He looked exhausted at times last year. For sure, Ruben Amorim cannot expect to do so at United. Part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has gone from pleading penury last season to spending big on Amorim's creative hub during the summer. His claim when making another round of sweeping redundancies that United could have been broke by Christmas looks rather disingenuous as Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha settle in. Whatever the case, it won't be Sir Jim of Monaco who carries the can if things don't work out. And why, by the way, haven't they signed a goalkeeper? Further down the menu, Newcastle finally look to have been caught on the horns of their own behind-the-scenes unhappiness — and that was always likely to happen — while Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest do not have the luxury of Champions League money to propel them forwards as they once hoped. Forest have managed to keep Morgan Gibbs-White out of the clutches of Tottenham but to what end? Unhappy footballers don't tend to play happy football after all. Tottenham themselves remain eminently fascinating and now have one of our most likeable managers in charge. Will they chew up and spit out Thomas Frank like they have all the rest or will the Dane's phlegmatic sense of perspective and self shield him from the pressures of all that 'to dare is to do' business on the Seven Sisters Road? Spurs have lost Son Heung-min to America and James Maddison to injury. Mbeumo, meanwhile, chose United over a reunion with his old Brentford manager. Incomings have thus far been unexciting and the Spurs fanbase is restless. Chairman Daniel Levy chose to talk on a podcast to Gary Neville, meanwhile, but didn't say anything. And on it goes at Tottenham. At the bottom end, we need something to fundamentally change and we all know what it is. One of newly-promoted Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland must surely present a passable impersonation of a club that has any kind of interest in staying up. For the past two seasons, the new teams have been down with the Christmas decorations. Some pragmatic football from one of them would help. At Sunderland, manager Regis Le Bris has promised it and we should all be relieved about that. Daniel Farke of Leeds couldn't resist the temptation to express himself while at Norwich and twice he took them down. Burnley's Scott Parker built last season's promotion on incredible parsimony but at Turf Moor there has been mention of expansive football this time round. Please, no. Of those that may gravitate towards the bottom three, Everton — for whom Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall may prove a better signing than Jack Grealish — look short of depth while West Ham and Graham Potter still carry the whiff of a marriage made somewhere not particularly adjacent to heaven. Bournemouth have lost good players while Brentford have lost a very good manager. Reasons for concern there, too. So it's Arsenal to win it from Liverpool and the rest some way distant. At the bottom... well we know what's coming. Again.
Scottish Sun
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Hugo Ekitike is Thierry Henry-like Arsenal and Man Utd transfer target with symmetrical name who could surpass Gyokeres
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HE'S the man with the symmetrical name hoping to become a household name in the English game. Hugo Ekitike is the hot topic of conversation on Premier League lips right now. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 11 Ekitike was born in France but has roots in Cameroon 11 Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle are all reportedly interested in him Credit: Reuters 11 He won Ligue 1 in his time with PSG playing alongside Neymar, Mbappe and Messi Credit: 2023 AMA Sports Photo Agency And the French striker has shown there is far more to him than a surname that reads the same back to front. Following a sensational breakthrough season with Eintracht Frankfurt, Ekitike is rated at £85million and linked with Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea. With No 9s in short supply, the 23-year-old has emerged as a genuine alternative to the likes of Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres. Not that he is any stranger to these shores having TWICE turned down moves to Newcastle - first in January 2022 and again seven months later. Ekitike opted for Paris Saint-Germain instead, stating at the time: "I'm not setting aside everything Newcastle did for me. "If I had to go abroad, I would have gone there. But when PSG wants you and you're French, you can't refuse." As it turned out, Ekitike ran into a Galactico roadblock in the form of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, while the Toon signed Alexander Isak instead. But now he is available again, we've run the rule over the wiry hotshot Messi dubbed 'The Iron Rod'. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK SO IS HE ANY GOOD? Well, the simple answer is yes. Last season he scored 15 goals and produced eight assists in the Bundesliga, playing 33 of the 34 matches. Throw in another seven goals and four assists in cup competitions, including the Europa League, and you can see why the Premier League's vultures are circling. What really impressed the Frankfurt fans was how he adapted to the loss of Omar Marmoush in January. Up until then, the pair had been blazing away as a two-man frontline. New footage sees raging Jude Bellingham KICK VAR monitor in frustration after Real Madrid's last-gasp defeat But once Marmoush left for Manchester City, Eintracht boss Dino Toppmoller completely changed tack and played one up front with Ekitike leading the line. Far from derailing the youngster, he thrived on the lone role, scoring three times in the first two games following Marmoush's exit and maintaining his numbers until the end of the season. WHAT ARE HIS STRENGTHS? Dribbling is probably his main asset. Ekitike has quick feet and an ability to dance past defenders through seemingly impossible gaps with the ball glued to his boots. Right footed, he is technically gifted and has explosive pace. At 6ft 3in, he looks gangly but is in fact deceptively balanced. He also offers versatility. Ekitike can play as a No 9, a second striker, or as a winger. He loves to drop deep to link play and is excellent at running the channels or cutting in from the left flank and shooting. That has prompted comparisons with Thierry Henry, although a fairer likeness would be Isak. Ekitike is also very good at pressing and winning the ball back high up the pitch. 11 Hugo Ekitike enjoyed a impressive season in Germany 11 He's been described by some as a dribbling machine Credit: Getty 11 He's scored 15 goals in 33 appearances for his German club Credit: AFP AND HIS WEAKNESSES? He is still very raw and, despite his success last season, there are improvements to be made. Ekitike can be guilty of a lack of composure in the final third. Last season, he had more shots than anyone in the Bundesliga (117) but managed only a 13 per cent conversion rate. Compare that to the 23 per cent that Harry Kane achieved from his 114 shots and you would be forgiven for painting a picture of wastefulness. However, it has as much to do with decision-making as it does accuracy. Ekitike likes to have a pop from range with 24 per cent of his efforts coming from outside the box, with less chance of beating the keeper. He is stronger than he looks but, even so, there are occasions where he is knocked off the ball too easily. And don't be in a rush to hand him penalty duties. He missed two in the space of a month for Eintracht last season. 11 He's on the radar of a lot of Premier League club Credit: Rex 11 He could play for both France and Cameroon CAN HE HACK IT IN THE PREM? Often players coming from the Bundesliga struggle at first with the superior physicality of the Premier League. Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Leon Bailey are examples of that. Marmoush has bucked that trend and it would be astonishing if a player as talented as Florian Wirtz doesn't hit the ground running. As for Ekitike, he will probably need a bit of patience. Prior to last season, he had only reached double figures for goals once before when he scored 10 for his hometown club Stade de Reims in 2021-22. And his time at PSG yielded just three strikes in 33 appearances, 19 of which were off the bench. That said, he has shown he is capable of troubling top opposition, netting against Bayern Munich, Dortmund, Leverkusen and Leipzig last season. He left Pedro Porro in his wake on his way to scoring a 20-yarder against Tottenham in April's Europa League quarter-final. And a month before that, he put three past an England Under-21 defence that included Rico Lewis and Taylor Harwood-Bellis. 11 He came through the ranks at French club Reims Credit: Getty IS HE WORTH THE MONEY? At £85m, it is a sizeable gamble and Prem clubs should be wary of the Frankfurt curse. The Eagles have a knack of selling strikers at a massive profit, only for them to struggle at their next club. Luka Jovic (£52m), Sebastien Haller (£42m), Randal Kolo Muani (£77m) and Andre Silva (£20m) definitely fall into the category of transfers where you wished you had kept the receipt. Marmoush's success at City has broken the hoodoo and there is no doubt Ekitike has a higher ceiling than 27-year-old Gyokeres. If clubs can knock the asking price down to the £70m that Sesko is commanding, then Ekitike is maybe the better bet. 11 He's one of the hottest forwards in Europe at the moment Credit: AFP
The Irish Sun
23-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Hugo Ekitike is Thierry Henry-like Arsenal and Man Utd transfer target with symmetrical name who could surpass Gyokeres
HE'S the man with the symmetrical name hoping to become a household name in the English game. 11 Ekitike was born in France but has roots in Cameroon 11 Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle are all reportedly interested in him Credit: Reuters 11 He won Ligue 1 in his time with PSG playing alongside Neymar, Mbappe and Messi Credit: 2023 AMA Sports Photo Agency And the French striker has shown there is far more to him than a surname that reads the same back to front. Following a sensational breakthrough season with Eintracht Frankfurt, Ekitike is rated at £85million and linked with Liverpool, With No 9s in short supply, the 23-year-old has emerged as a genuine alternative to the likes of Not that he is any stranger to these shores having TWICE turned down moves to Newcastle - first in January 2022 and again seven months later. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS Ekitike opted for Paris Saint-Germain instead, stating at the time: "I'm not setting aside everything Newcastle did for me. "If I had to go abroad, I would have gone there. But when PSG wants you and you're French, you can't refuse." As it turned out, Ekitike ran into a Galactico roadblock in the form of Lionel Messi, Neymar and But now he is available again, we've run the rule over the wiry hotshot Messi dubbed 'The Iron Rod'. Most read in Football BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK SO IS HE ANY GOOD? Well, the simple answer is yes. Last season he scored 15 goals and produced eight assists in the Bundesliga, playing 33 of the 34 matches. Throw in another seven goals and four assists in cup competitions, including the Europa League, and you can see why the Premier League's vultures are circling. What really impressed the Frankfurt fans was how he adapted to the loss of Up until then, the pair had been blazing away as a two-man frontline. New footage sees raging Jude Bellingham KICK VAR monitor in frustration after Real Madrid's last-gasp defeat But once Marmoush left for Far from derailing the youngster, he thrived on the lone role, scoring three times in the first two games following Marmoush's exit and maintaining his numbers until the end of the season. WHAT ARE HIS STRENGTHS? Dribbling is probably his main asset. Ekitike has quick feet and an ability to dance past defenders through seemingly impossible gaps with the ball glued to his boots. Right footed, he is technically gifted and has explosive pace. At 6ft 3in, he looks gangly but is in fact deceptively balanced. He also offers versatility. Ekitike can play as a No 9, a second striker, or as a winger. He loves to drop deep to link play and is excellent at running the channels or cutting in from the left flank and shooting. That has prompted comparisons with Thierry Henry, although a fairer likeness would be Isak. Ekitike is also very good at pressing and winning the ball back high up the pitch. 11 Hugo Ekitike enjoyed a impressive season in Germany 11 He's been described by some as a dribbling machine Credit: Getty 11 He's scored 15 goals in 33 appearances for his German club Credit: AFP AND HIS WEAKNESSES? He is still very raw and, despite his success last season, there are improvements to be made. Ekitike can be guilty of a lack of composure in the final third. Last season, he had more shots than anyone in the Bundesliga (117) but managed only a 13 per cent conversion rate. Compare that to the 23 per cent that Harry Kane achieved from his 114 shots and you would be forgiven for painting a picture of wastefulness. However, it has as much to do with decision-making as it does accuracy. Ekitike likes to have a pop from range with 24 per cent of his efforts coming from outside the box, with less chance of beating the keeper. He is stronger than he looks but, even so, there are occasions where he is knocked off the ball too easily. And don't be in a rush to hand him penalty duties. He missed two in the space of a month for Eintracht last season. 11 He's on the radar of a lot of Premier League club Credit: Rex 11 He could play for both France and Cameroon CAN HE HACK IT IN THE PREM? Often players coming from the Bundesliga struggle at first with the superior physicality of the Premier League. Marmoush has bucked that trend and it would be astonishing if a player as talented as As for Ekitike, he will probably need a bit of patience. Prior to last season, he had only reached double figures for goals once before when he scored 10 for his hometown club Stade de Reims in 2021-22. And his time at PSG yielded just three strikes in 33 appearances, 19 of which were off the bench. That said, he has shown he is capable of troubling top opposition, netting against He left And a month before that, he put three past an England Under-21 defence that included Rico Lewis and Taylor Harwood-Bellis. 11 He came through the ranks at French club Reims Credit: Getty IS HE WORTH THE MONEY? At £85m, it is a sizeable gamble and Prem clubs should be wary of the Frankfurt curse. The Eagles have a knack of selling strikers at a massive profit, only for them to struggle at their next club. Marmoush's success at City has broken the hoodoo and there is no doubt Ekitike has a higher ceiling than 27-year-old Gyokeres. If clubs can knock the asking price down to the £70m that Sesko is commanding, then Ekitike is maybe the better bet. 11 He's one of the hottest forwards in Europe at the moment Credit: AFP 11 He could be playing in the Premier League next season Credit: Getty
