It took Hugo Ekitike simply six minutes to indicate the remainder of Europe why he’s one of the crucial needed younger strikers on the continent.
The 22-year-old obtained the cross just a little inside Tottenham’s half, drove at retreating full again Pedro Porro, reduce inside, shifted the ball out of his ft and rifled his shot into the underside nook earlier than the swarm of white shirts might do something about it.
Off to the nook he ran and slid throughout the grass on his knees. He later reposted an image on his Instagram story evaluating his celebration to Thierry Henry’s iconic knee slide, a picture Spurs followers thought that they had lengthy since repressed.
These untimely comparisons to the Arsenal nice stretch just a little additional as when he seemed to have signed for Newcastle from Stade Reims almost three years in the past, all of the speak within the North East was that the Toon have been signing ‘the following Thierry Henry’.
Each tall, slight and stylish in stride. Each centre forwards, who prefer to drift extensive to the left and run at defenders with these lengthy legs and loping gait.
Ultimately, the transfer fell by means of as Ekitike joined Paris Saint-Germain on the final minute. Newcastle purchased Alexander Isak as an alternative that summer time, and that’s turned out OK, however have been miffed on the time by how the deal collapsed as a result of their evaluation had led them to consider he was going to be a celebrity.
Hugo Ekitike wanted solely six minutes to indicate Tottenham why he has turn out to be such a expertise
He took the ball simply inside Spurs’ half and drove at Pedro Porro (proper), reduce inside and scored
A transfer for Ekitike fell by means of just for Newcastle to signal Alexander Isak as an alternative – a transfer that not a single Magpies fan regrets nearly three years on
It appears to be like like these analysts have been proper. Ekitike has 21 objectives thus far this season, firing Eintracht Frankfurt to 3rd within the Bundesliga and trying to trigger Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou but extra complications this night as their Europa League quarter-final hangs within the steadiness.
He has carried the lone ranger mantle since Omar Marmoush, who he referred to as his ‘associate in crime’, joined Manchester Metropolis for almost £60million from Frankfurt in January.
‘He’s a whole striker,’ Christopher Michel, Frankfurt reporter at Absolut Fussball advised Mail Sport. ‘He’s quick, he can shoot with each ft. He can head the ball nicely. He’s good along with his again to purpose. He’s tall. He can dribble. He gives assists. He is usually a playmaker. He has the potential to be among the best strikers in Europe. I even assume he has extra expertise than Omar Marmoush.’
It’s no shock, then, that the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool are each mentioned to be excited by a transfer for Ekitike this summer time however, if they need him, they must fork out one of the best a part of £85m.
‘Ekitike loves being within the limelight,’ Manni Sedlbauer, German soccer reporter at Sport1 advised Mail Sport. ‘He’s very self-confident. He plans uncommon celebrations, wears his trousers low and drives a Lamborghini.
‘He’s all the time needed to be one of the best and has labored exhausting for it. He belongs to this new technology of strikers.’
Ekitike got here by means of the ranks at his hometown membership Reims, signing his first skilled contract in 2020 aged 17. Coaches noticed the expertise in him early on.
‘We noticed enormous potential, one thing pure, with a sense for scoring a purpose,’ mentioned his Reims reserve group coach Franck Chalencon. ‘He’s a really intelligent participant, which noticed him adapt and perceive the expectations {of professional} soccer. It’s very uncommon he performs a sport with out creating an opportunity himself.’
The France Beneath 21 star has been in comparison with Les Bleus and Arsenal icon Thierry Henry
Ekitike’s 14 Bundesliga objectives thus far this season have fired Eintracht Frankfurt as much as third place
He has been Frankfurt’s important menace since his ‘associate in crime’ Omar Marmoush left in January
Earlier than he turned a first-team common, he joined Danish Superliga aspect Vejle on mortgage in January 2021 – and his new team-mates have been in for a shock once they noticed their new signing dancing across the dressing room any time a music got here on.
Ekitike struggled early on with the bodily calls for of the Danish league and wanted French team-mate Kevin Yamga to assist him with the language barrier.
‘I bear in mind a humble and hard-working child,’ Jacob Kruger, Vejle’s sporting director on the time, advised Mail Sport. ‘He had difficulties initially as a result of it was his first day out of France, he spoke little or no English on the time, and he wanted to adapt to Danish soccer.
‘His membership was fairly offended that he didn’t play and I had them on the telephone a number of occasions however I by no means had any complaints from Hugo. He saved working exhausting and simply ready for his likelihood.
‘There was one sport the place the coach modified nearly the entire group for a cup sport as a result of we have been near relegation however Hugo nonetheless wasn’t within the beginning line-up. His membership was completely p***ed!
‘Hugo didn’t lose religion in himself, saved working exhausting and when he acquired his likelihood he took it.’
Ekitike scored three objectives in eight video games in the course of the league’s relegation spherical to maintain Vejle within the division, together with a brace towards rivals AC Horsens in addition to two assists in an important sport towards Sonderjyske.
‘If we received, we averted relegation,’ Jacob Schoop, his captain at Vejle, advised the BBC. ‘Hugo was unbelievable in that sport. That is the signal of a big-game participant – to step up and discover that bit further.’
Earlier than changing into one of many hottest strikers on the continent he frolicked on mortgage in Denmark
From Reims he was drawn to the brilliant lights of Paris, first on mortgage, after which completely
‘He was a prime, prime expertise,’ added Kruger. ‘We might all see that. He had some extraordinary expertise, along with his tempo, approach, mentality and was a great finisher. You could possibly see he had the entire package deal however it will be just a little too sensible to say I noticed all of it and he would find yourself like this!’
On his return to Reims for the 2021-22 season, he banged in 10 objectives in 24 Ligue 1 appearances – performances that acquired Newcastle’s whiskers twitching.
‘There’s something very particular about him,’ mentioned his Reims supervisor Oscar Garcia that season. ‘He’s younger, and he has the standard to turn out to be an excellent participant.’
Newcastle tried to signal him that January, the primary window after the Saudi takeover, earlier than almost getting the job carried out in the summertime.
The intense lights of Paris turned his head and he moved to the French giants, first on mortgage, then completely. Ekitike made 25 appearances in Ligue 1 as he received the title alongside Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
He struggled to make his mark, although. Former PSG midfielder Eric Rabesandratana slammed his ‘psychological weak spot’ and claimed his angle didn’t ‘correspond in any respect to what you count on from him as a teen, and particularly one who ought to impose himself at PSG’.
Ekitike was shipped out on mortgage to Frankfurt in February final yr earlier than making the transfer everlasting in April. That’s the place the star started to shine, each on the pitch and off it. Objectives, glitz and glamour.
‘He’s a bit flamboyant,’ added Michel. ‘You may see it in his fashion of garments.’ Ekitike not too long ago posted an image on Instagram of him sporting a tracksuit lined in diamantes and a pink woolly hat.
The younger French ahead struggled to impose himself in a PSG group plagued by superstars
He has additionally earned himself a popularity for flamboyance after posting his outfits on Instagram
He brought on a stir amongst Frankfurt followers, too, in the course of the winter break when he shared a video doing heat climate coaching in Dubai sporting a Borussia Dortmund shirt.
‘Dino Toppmoller, the Frankfurt head coach as soon as mentioned Hugo prices him a number of nerves however he loves him and his angle,’ mentioned Michel.
‘He’s a cool man. It was Toppmoller who introduced him ahead and was essential for his improvement.’
Since Marmoush’s departure, Ekitike has gone from enjoying in a entrance two to proving he has what it takes to guide the road on his personal, helped by former Dortmund and Bayern Munich playmaker Mario Goetze pulling the strings behind him.
‘He advantages from Goetze’s good passes and is ice-cold in entrance of purpose,’ mentioned Sedlbauer. ‘Defensive work, then again, will not be all the time Hugo. Nonetheless, he is likely one of the finest strikers within the Bundesliga, maybe even in Europe.’
Do the enterprise once more on Thursday evening and it’ll be much more seemingly it’s the Premier League come subsequent season.
