Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has explained why he thinks a top Bundesliga striker currently making waves in Germany is not yet ‘ready’ to fire the Gunners to Premier League glory as their first-choice No.9.
Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike is the player in question, as the Gunners look primed to finish as Premier League runners-up for a third successive – given they trail leaders Liverpool by a whopping 11 points with just seven games remaining in the season.
Much of their drop-off during the second half of the campaign has largely been attributed to Mikel Arteta’s lack of firepower up front, given the season-ending injuries to both Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz and the lack of adding a new addition in the winter window.
The likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko were heavily linked with a January switch, with Arteta ultimately ending up ‘disappointed’ by Arsenal’s failure to boost his firepower – a mistake that is not expected to be repeated this summer.
And while Alexander Isak remains the top target, the Newcastle forward’s huge asking price of in excess of £160million means that alternatives have been identified, with Ekitike one of them.
Indeed, Arsenal have reportedly already made enquiries over the 22-year-old Frenchman’s availability, and it’s understood a deal could be reached for a fee in the region of £60m.
However, Petit is not convinced that Ekitike, who has also been linked with Liverpool, is ready to take that next big step at this stage of his career.
“Honestly, I’ve seen him playing for Paris Saint-Germain. He was a little bit too young to play for a huge club like Paris Saint-Germain,” Petit told Poker Firma.
“Now he’s having a good time in Germany with Eintracht Frankfurt. I think it’s probably too soon for him to come to a top, top club like Arsenal or Liverpool.
“I’m not sure if he’s ready to be the main man at a club chasing a Premier League title.”
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More Ekitike questions than answers for Petit
Meanwhile, Petit also thinks Ekitike could struggle with the ‘burden’ of leading the line at a club currently lower down in the Premier League table, such as Newcastle or Manchester United.
“Could he be a good replacement for Isak if Newcastle let him go? Possibly, but it’s still a huge amount of pressure to replace a player like that,” he added.
“It’s a similar situation with Manchester United. Can he carry the burden of scoring the goals for that club at his age?”
Only time will tell in that regard for a player who has notched 13 goals and four assists for Frankfurt in the Bundesliga this season, with the club sitting third in the German top flight.
He has also shone on the European stage as well though, scoring three goals and adding a further three assists as Frankfurt prepare for the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final at Arsenal’s bitter north London rivals Tottenham on Thursday evening.
His contract at the Waldstadion also runs through to the summer of 2029, leaving Frankfurt in a strong position when it comes to negotiating a sizeable fee for the player going forward.
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