AC Milan to eye on the PSG star. Hugo Ekitike of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is reportedly a target for AC Milan.
Last year, Stade de Reims sent the French attacker on a temporary loan to Paris for the entire season. This summer, the Ligue 1 winners met the €28 million condition in his contract to complete the transfer.
In 32 games in all competitions during his first season with Les Parisiens, Ekitike only managed four goals and four assists. He is being considered a potential target by AC Milan for the upcoming campaign, claims Daniele Longo of Calciomercato.com.
Ekitike is still under contract at Parc des Princes for another four years, although he might be moved this summer. According to reports, PSG is willing to include him in a trade for Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic.
That does not, however, imply that Juve would be open to receiving the Frenchman in trade. Going into the new season, Milan’s center-forward alternatives are lacking.
While Olivier Giroud is 36 years old and in the final year of his contract, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has retired from the game of professional football. Another first-team alternative available to Stefano Pioli is Divock Origi (28).
The Belgian striker’s performance, though, hasn’t been stellar. In 36 appearances across competitions during his first season in Italy, he scored just two goals. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi left PSG earlier this month on a free transfer.
To provide some depth to their assault, they nevertheless signed Real Madrid free agent Marco Asensio. However, Kylian Mbappe’s impending departure might significantly weaken their frontline.
What Ekitike says about the pressure she felt at PSG:
PSG is one of the biggest outfits in Europe in the 21st century. Their failure to turn the heavy investment in their squad into a UEFA Champions League trophy further burdens anyone who gets the chance to play for them.
Hugo Ekitike is well aware of the added expectations that come with representing the Ligue 1 giants. The club has a fanbase used to seeing Neymar Jr., Kylian Mbappe, and Lionel Messi in action.
Any forward who steps in or takes their spot on the team will immediately face higher expectations. The teenage French forward made the following comments in a December interview on Canal Plus (via PSGTalk):
“I am aware of why I came here. Naturally, there are a lot of expectations when you enter a place like this. People demand performance, and when it doesn’t, we automatically start to second-guess ourselves. Because I arrived with a huge tag, I’m in a situation where I’ll always face challenges. Accept it; it won’t cause any issues.”
Follow your favorite team’s journey in football through the latest news and updates.
