For the coming season, Eintracht Frankfurt needs solutions for its weak attack. Hugo Ekitike is supposed to help someone who hasn't been able to get in yet.
Frankfurt – The problems are piling up at Eintracht Frankfurt. After four games without a win, the duel next Friday (April 19th) against FC Augsburg will become an unwanted explosive one in the fight for participation in the European Cup, with the Hessians and the Bavarian Swabians only separated by 3 points. It is currently difficult to see any prospect of improvement.
The fact that Eintracht only scored two goals in these 4 games underlines one of the SGE's several problems - a weak offensive. In order to fix this problem after the summer at the latest, someone who has not yet found his place should help in the coming season: PSG loanee Hugo Ekitike.
Hugo Ekitike and Eintracht Frankfurt – not yet a win-win situation
The loan of the 21-year-old Frenchman should represent a win-win situation for everyone involved in the winter. Eintracht reacted to the shortage of strikers in their own squad and the exemptions for the Africa Cup at the time. Previously, Omar Marmoush was primarily responsible for scoring goals. At the time, Ekitike described going to Frankfurt as an “interesting step” and the “right decision” for his career, as he should finally get more playing time on the Main.
Instead of goals, however, Ekitike's physical condition was mainly reported on. Since his arrival, he has only made two starting eleven appearances and has not yet played the full ninety minutes in a game. However, Markus Krösche, who has to put up with the accusation of not having signed a fit striker in the winter despite having the resources, wants to plan with the Frenchman beyond the summer.
Krösche appeals for patience and calls for more operating time for Ekitike
In a Sky
interview , the Eintracht sports director confirmed that
he was “very optimistic” that a solution could be found with Ekitike, which would mean tying him to the Hessian Bundesliga club beyond the end of the loan in June. In view of the bumpy start, they were also very aware that “it needs a certain amount of time to get started”.
Nevertheless, Krösche appeals for understanding and at the same time pleads for more playing time for the Frenchman in order to finally acclimatize in the new league. “If a young player only trains and doesn’t play, then the rhythm is missing. You have to develop this rhythm,” says Krösche. In addition, Ekitike now has to “act more often and earlier”.
Krösche on PSG loan Ekitike: “extraordinary skills”
It can therefore be assumed that Eintracht will campaign for Krösche to stay for a longer period of time, as the SGE is still “totally convinced” of him. With his “extraordinary abilities,” people would “have a lot of fun” with him in the coming years, the 43-year-old concludes his plea.
If the 21-year-old succeeds in the turnaround a little sooner, both sides would be happy with that. If Dino Toppmöller's team qualifies for the European Cup in the remaining five games, the Frenchman will also have new and interesting perspectives for the coming season - goal participation would help. (nki)