Manchester United are still expected to sign a brand new striker this summer, and it remains unclear who will arrive.
Ineos have completed one signing this transfer window so far, with Matheus Cunha joining from Wolves for a fee of £62.5m.
Cunha joins as an immediate upgrade in attack, but is expected to be the first of several in the offence. Bryan Mbeumo is next on Manchester United’s radar and are already in talks to sign the forward from Brentford.
In addition, United are considering options in attack, with Viktor Gyokeres looking unlikely and several other names emerging as possible forward line signings.
One option for United is Hugo Ekitike, who could be available for around £60m this summer, according to reports. This would be an excellent deal, and it would see Ekitike arrive at the club he supports.
Now, comments he made on a potential future teammate have emerged.
What Hugo Ekitike has said about Marcus Rashford
Over the years, Ekitike has made it clear that he is an admirer of the Red Devils, as quoted by Florian Plettenberg. The French forward explained: “My favourite club as a child was Manchester United. I’ve always admired them.”
One player that Ekitike was a huge fan of was Marcus Rashford, with the currently out in the cold academy graduate being praised multiple times on X by the Frankfurt star.
In 2020, when Rashford bagged a 27-minute hat-trick against RB Leipzig, Ekitike tweeted: “Merci d’être toi”, which translates to, “Thank you for being you.”
On another occasion, when Rashford was named in the TIME list of 100 most influential people, Ekitike applauded on X. He then explained the reason it was a deserved inclusion, citing Rashford’s role outside of football.
“A talented player and also a man with a big heart who works for the most deprived children and families in England.”
Ekitike clearly idolised Rashford, which says a lot about the kind of character the 22-year-old is, which would pass that test for United.
- READ MORE: Who is Marcus Rashford? Inside the life of Man Utd’s book-writing, government-tackling ace
Ekitike could follow in Rashford’s footsteps at Manchester United
This summer, United are considering a move to sign Ekitike, and with the Frenchman’s love for Rashford and United, it is a deal that Ineos would be able to complete, assuming the fee is not massive.
However, United won’t be able to sell Ekitike the idea of playing alongside his idol Rashford, considering the 27-year-old is firmly on the ‘to sell’ list this summer.
While there is a chance that Rashford remains at United, it is more likely that Ekitike has missed his chance to play alongside the Englishman, following the falling out between Rashford and Amorim.
Ekitike could, however, be filling the boots of Rashford in the form of a versatile attacker who can play in almost every position in the front three.
But he would hope to be alongside his idol, which could yet happen.
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