Manchester City have held talks with the agents of Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, according to reports in the German media.

The 22-year-old has caught the eye this season, having scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in 46 appearances.

Ekitike has attracted the interest of several teams, including Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea.

However, Bild claim that Pep Guardiola’s side have now entered the fray as they look to reshape their forward line.

Ekitike has been compared to some top forwards

Speaking about the Frenchman back in March, former Real Madrid and Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder drew similarities between him and two world-class strikers:

“I think he’s a mix between Neymar and Mbappe. I sincerely think so. He has the grace of Neymar, but also the movements of Mbappe. To suddenly accelerate, that’s something that Mbappe also has. And he’s only 22 years old. There’s really a lot of potential in this boy.”

Do City need another striker?

Fans will rightly be asking whether the Cityzens are in the market for another No.9. Erling Haaland may have had some injury problems recently but he has started 28 league games this campaign.

Omar Marmoush was also snapped up during the January transfer window. While the Egyptian international does prefer to be deployed in wide areas, he can lead the line if needed.

Taking those factors into account, it would be a surprise if a bid was lodged for Ekitike this summer, especially as he could cost upwards of €100m (£85m).

It does appear as if  City’s name is being used to generate more interest in the player and to justify the sky-high valuation. He may end up in the Premier League next campaign but a switch to the Etihad is very unlikely.

Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here