| Hugo Ekitike | |
| Full Name: | Hugo Ekitike |
| Birth Date: | 20 June 2002 |
| Birth Place: | Reims, France |
| Height: | 1.90 m[1] |
| Position: | Striker |
| Currentclub: | Eintracht Frankfurt |
| Clubnumber: | 11 |
| Youthyears1: | 2008–2013 |
| Youthclubs1: | Cormontreuil FC |
| Youthyears2: | 2013–2019 |
| Youthclubs2: | Reims |
| Years1: | 2019–2021 |
| Clubs1: | Reims B |
| Caps1: | 15 |
| Goals1: | 6 |
| Years2: | 2020–2023 |
| Clubs2: | Reims |
| Caps2: | 26 |
| Goals2: | 10 |
| Years3: | 2021 |
| Clubs3: | → Vejle Boldklub (loan) |
| Caps3: | 11 |
| Goals3: | 3 |
| Years4: | 2022–2023 |
| Clubs4: | → Paris Saint-Germain (loan) |
| Caps4: | 25 |
| Goals4: | 3 |
| Years5: | 2023–2024 |
| Clubs5: | Paris Saint-Germain |
| Caps5: | 1 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Years6: | 2024 |
| Clubs6: | → Eintracht Frankfurt (loan) |
| Caps6: | 14 |
| Goals6: | 4 |
| Years7: | 2024– |
| Clubs7: | Eintracht Frankfurt |
| Caps7: | 0 |
| Goals7: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2021–2022 |
| Nationalteam1: | France U20 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 6 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 21:00, 21 May 2024 (UTC) |
| Nationalteam-Update: | 14:08, 25 June 2023 (UTC) |
Hugo Ekitike (or Ekitiké; born 20 June 2002) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt.
Hugo Ekitike[2] was born on 20 June 2002 in Reims, Marne,[3] to a French father and a Cameroonian mother.[4]
On 12 July 2020, Ekitike signed his first professional contract with Reims.[5] He debuted with the senior team in a 3–1 Ligue 1 loss to Lorient on 17 October 2020.[6] On 29 January 2021, Ekitike joined Danish Superliga club Vejle Boldklub on loan for the rest of the season.[7]
On 26 September 2021, Ekitike scored Reims' second and third goals in a 3–1 win against Nantes, having come on as a substitute.[8] In the January 2022 transfer window, Ekitike rejected a potential transfer to Newcastle United. Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot admitted that the club had received "very good offers" for Ekitike, but reiterated that "there is still a piece of history to write together".[9]
On 16 July 2022, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) announced the signing of Ekitike on a season-long loan with an option-to-buy for a reported fee of €35 million, bonuses included.[10] According to several sources, the purchase option in the deal was made mandatory.[11]
Ekitike made his PSG debut as a substitute in a 5–0 league win away to Clermont on 6 August 2022.[12] On 1 October, he made his first start for the club in a 2–1 league victory over Nice at the Parc des Princes.[13] Ten days later, Ekitike made his UEFA Champions League debut, coming on as a late-match substitute in a 1–1 home draw against Benfica.[14] On 13 November, he scored his first goal for Paris Saint-Germain in a 5–0 home win over Auxerre.[15] He finished the season with four goals and four assists in thirty-two matches, winning his first Ligue 1 title.[16] In June 2023, his transfer to PSG became a permanent deal worth €28.5 million plus €6.5 million in bonuses.[17] [18] In September 2023, it was reported that he was excluded from the Champions League squad for the 2023–24 season.[19]
On 1 February 2024, Ekitike signed for Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt on loan until the end of the season with a buy option.[20] He made his debut as a substitute in a 2–0 defeat away to FC Köln two days later.[21] On 19 April, he scored his first goal for the club in a 3–1 home victory over FC Augsburg.[22] On 26 April, the buy option in Ekitike's loan deal at Eintracht Frankfurt was activated, and he was transferred for a fee of €16.5 million.[23] He signed a deal until the end of the 2028–29 season.[24] The following day, Ekitike scored a goal in 2–1 defeat away to Bayern Munich, a right-footed strike from outside the box into the bottom-right corner of the net.[25]
Ekitike was eligible to play for France because of his birth and through his father and for Cameroon through his mother. He is a youth international for France, having represented the France U20s.[26]
| Season | League | National cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Reims B | 2019–20 | Championnat National 2 | 12 | 5 | — | — | — | 12 | 5 | ||||
| 2020–21 | Championnat National 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | |||||
| 2021–22 | Championnat National 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 15 | 6 | — | — | — | 15 | 6 | ||||||
| Reims | 2020–21 | Ligue 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
| 2021–22 | Ligue 1 | 24 | 10 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 26 | 11 | ||||
| Total | 26 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 28 | 11 | ||||
| Vejle Boldklub (loan) | 2020–21 | Danish Superliga | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 3 | |||
| Paris Saint-Germain (loan) | 2022–23 | Ligue 1 | 25 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 4 | |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2023–24 | Ligue 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 26 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 4 | |||
| Eintracht Frankfurt (loan) | 2023–24 | Bundesliga | 14 | 4 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 16 | 4 | |||
| Eintracht Frankfurt | 2024–25 | Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 1 | ||
| Total | 14 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 17 | 5 | ||||
| Career total | 92 | 26 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 29 | |||
Paris Saint-Germain
France U20