Bayern and Dortmund were also interested in Eintracht shooting star Ekitiké

Hugo Ekitiké’s early days at Eintracht Frankfurt were bumpy. After being unable to take part in team training at Paris Saint-Germain for four months, he was far from the fitness required for the Bundesliga when he arrived in Frankfurt. He wasn’t even good enough to play the 90 minutes of an internal friendly against the club’s U21 team – he was even at risk of injury.

“He gave us a signal after 45 minutes that he had to leave the pitch. Otherwise the muscle would explode,” explained Eintracht coach Dino Toppmöller, calling for patience with Ekitiké. The Frenchman is “an investment for the future.”

Meanwhile, patience is paying off. With three goals and three assists in the first four competitive matches, Ekitiké has had an excellent start to the new season. The initial worries have been completely forgotten, especially Ekitiké’s interaction with his congenial strike partner Omar Marmoush has Eintracht fans dreaming of big things. A sensible investment, which according to the Sports Image also considered two other Bundesliga clubs.

FC Bayern met with Ekitiké’s advisor in 2022 to discuss a possible transfer. At that time, Robert Lewandowski’s departure was imminent. The Pole was to be replaced by Sadio Mané and a talented player. In the end, Bayern decided to sign Mathys Tel and not Ekitiké.

At Borussia Dortmund, Ekitiké was a topic of discussion twice: in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, BVB was looking for a successor to Erling Haaland, and the choice fell on Sebastian Haller. A backup was to be signed for the Ivorian a year later, and Ekitiké was again an option. This time, the manager decided on Niclas Füllkrug.

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