are eyeing up a summer transfer swoop for Eintracht Frankfurt sensation Hugo Ekitike, it has been claimed. The Gunners have "identified" the 22-year-old Frenchman as an alternative to Alexander Isak.

and the Gunners could be priced out as Eddie Howe's team hold out for £150million. Liverpool are among the others showing strong interest in the Sweden international, 25, who has scored 23 goals in 33 matches this season.

But if Arsenal miss out on signing Isak, then they have identified another possible option. According to , the Gunners are targeting Frankfurt's Ekitike as Mikel Arteta tries to bolster his forward line.

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Ekitike has caught the eye of several Premier League clubs - who have asked to be kept informed of his availability. Frankfurt are expected to demand around £60million for the former Paris Saint-Germain attacker.

After spending the second half of last season on loan, Frankfurt signed Ekitike on a permanent deal, for £13.7million, in the summer. Since then, Ekitike has been excellent - finding the net 19 times in 38 appearances.

Ekitike was a target for Newcastle in January 2022, but the forward rejected a move to St James' Park and instead joined PSG from Reims the following summer. However, he struggled for form in Paris - and Ekitike scored just four goals in 32 matches during his first season at the Parc des Princes.

It was no surprise that he left PSG, although Frankfurt have been able to get the best out of the France Under-21s international, who bagged a hat-trick against Lee Carsley's England U21s last Friday.

Having impressed in the Bundesliga and Europa League this season, Ekitike wants to step up and secure a move to a Champions League club. He does not have a release clause in his Frankfurt contract - but is expected to leave this summer as a number of teams look to strengthen up front.

Etikike will have the chance to impress English suitors when he goes up against Tottenham in a two-legged Europa League quarter-final next month. Frankfurt are bidding to win Europe's second tier competition for the second time in four years after they beat Rangers on penalties in May 2022.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are desperate to add a proper No.9 to their ranks as they look set to finish second for the third successive season. The Gunners have lacked an out-and-out centre forward for some years and Ekitike would bring an extra dynamic to their attack with his pace, strength and technical quality.

Talk has been ongoing for some time about Arsenal's need for a striker, but ex-defender Martin Keown reckons the club have already agreed a sensational deal for a new forward. Isak has been linked - and there are rumours circling around Ekitike, Viktor Gyokeres and Dusan Vlahovic among others.

Although Keown suggested that a move for Isak might prove to be difficult, a big-money move for someone else looks to be a certainty. Speaking to TNT Sports, Keown said: "I just feel with Isak... Now they [Newcastle] won that [trophy], it's going to be even more difficult to get him away from there.

"The whole world is on it. It's about finding these players before everybody else does. There's a new director of football now. You've got to go after the players, a good free transfer.

"You can't just keep spending money on the obvious Declan Rice. But you can be certain this summer they will be buying a striker, without doubt."

Keown is so convinced that Arsenal are signing a striker in the coming months, that he thinks a deal has already been done. He added: "I would suggest that there's already a player bought and it's already done from an Arsenal point of view. They won't make that mistake again."