AC Milan to battle 3 Premier League sides for PSG star - Reports

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Hugo Ekitike is the subject of interest from Serie A side AC Milan as well as multiple Premier League sides. According to French outlet L'Equipe, Milan's interest for the 21-year-old could be rivalled by Everton, West Ham United, and Wolverhampton Wanderers keen.

Ekitike came up through the youth setup at Stade de Reims, before making his senior debut for the side in October 2020 as an 18-year-old. Prior to the 2022-23 season, Les Parisiens purchased him on loan with an option to buy set at around €35 million. He has managed only 33 appearances across two seasons, contributing four goals and four assists.

However, PSG invested heavily into the striker position this transfer window, pushing Ekitike down the pecking order. Big money moves for Goncalo Ramos from Benfica and Randal Kolo Muani from Eintracht Frankfurt means that the Frenchman could be available.

AC Milan are keen on signing the 21-year-old, who could prove to be a great addition to an attack that already consists of the likes of Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic. Olivier Giroud and Luka Jovic are the options to lead the line for the Rossoneri currently, meaning Ekitike could get a huge opportunity to shine with the team.

PSG chief admits previous interest in Barcelona star

The Poland international has been a star for the Catalan giants.

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi stated that the club previously had an interest in Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski. In an interview with Polish outlet Meczyki, he admitted that the Ligue 1 side were keen on signing him before he moved to Spain.

He said:

“I have a policy of not talking about players who are not at PSG and about transfers that will happen or were supposed to happen. But it’s no secret that Robert is an incredible striker. Every club in the world looked at him and at some point thought about signing him,” Al-Khelaifi said.

“But Robert is at Barcelona today and I respect him. There weren’t many snipers like that scoring goals in almost every game. He is a goal-scoring machine and a great guy. We met and I can only speak highly of him,” he added.

There were reports last year that PSG were looking to add Lewandowski. Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo reported that they were even ready to offload Neymar to finance a move for him.

However, the report added that the 35-year-old was only interested in playing for Xavi's side. Eventually, in the summer of 2022, he requested a move away from Bayern Munich and signed with Barcelona for €45 million.