A new report has emerged regarding Everton's pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain striker Hugo Ekitike this summer, as Sean Dyche looks to improve his attacking options ahead of the Premier League season.
The Frenchman started just 12 games for the Ligue 1 champions in the last campaign.
What's the latest on Hugo Ekitike to Everton?
Whilst Fabrizio Romano's recent report revealed the Toffees' concrete interest in Ekitike, Sky Sports' Alan Myers has now reported that Everton have made an offer for the striker, which PSG are considering.
It remains to be seen just how much the Ligue 1 champions want for the 21-year-old, but, according to Transfermarkt, he is currently worth €20m (£17m).
Given that PSG have just welcomed Goncalo Ramos, too, their need for Ekitike has significantly decreased, potentially making a deal easier for Everton to complete in the coming weeks.
You'd expect that Dyche will certainly welcome the arrival of a forward, too, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin the only striker for the former Burnley manager to call on at Goodison Park, as things stand.
With that said, Everton's pursuit of Ekitike is certainly one to keep an eye on this summer.
Should Everton sign Hugo Ekitike?
As already mentioned, Calvert-Lewin is currently the only recognised striker at Everton, as they head into the Premier League season hoping to avoid relegation once more.
The Englishman, himself, hasn't exactly got a good track record when it comes to availability, either. The forward missed 14 games throughout the entirety of last season, as Everton struggled for goals, scoring just 35 times – the second-lowest in the league.
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An injection of youth in the form of Ekitike could be exactly what the Toffees need to avoid another nervous gamble with their top-flight status in the coming campaign.
The 21-year-old struggled in his debut campaign for PSG, scoring just three times, and assisting a further four times in 12 Ligue 1 starts.
However, when given a consistent chance in a side, Ekitike is capable of reaching double figures in goals, as proven by his time at Stade Reims, where he scored 11 goals, and assisted a further five in all competitions in the 2021/22 campaign.
It is during his time at Reims that the young Frenchman earned plenty of praise, with his head coach at the time, Oscar Garcia, telling BeINSPORTS, via Breaking The Lines:
"There is something very special about him. He’s young, and he has the quality to become a very good player. He’s a young man with a lot of quality but also a lot to improve on, but he works hard in training."
The stats only back up the claims of Ekitike's former manager, too. According to FBref, the PSG man was better than current Everton forward Calvert-Lewin in most areas. He made more progressive passes, scored and assisted more goals, and had more successful take-ons than the Englishman per 90 last season.
The more that Ekitike is looked at, the more he seems like he could be an ideal option for Dyche and Everton in the coming season, as they look to avoid the chaos of another Premier League relegation battle.
