2024-01-20 04:19:57
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Eintracht Frankfurt would like to sign the PSG striker permanently – just like the Swedish talent Bergvall.
Frankfurt – Storm giant Sasa Kalajdzic did not finish training on Tuesday; Eintracht’s new radio tower had to leave the field following a painful collision with a teammate and cycle back to the training camp. The first diagnosis: bruised foot. It’s not pleasant, but it’s not something that would deter someone who has had to overcome various fractures, torn ligaments in the shoulder or ankle and, above all, two torn cruciate ligaments in the knee, from work. So, if nothing unforeseeable happens or the pain flares up once more, Sasa Kalajdzic will be able to play in Eintracht’s forward line in the not entirely insignificant away game on Saturday (3:30 p.m./Sky) at SV Darmstadt 98.
This is all the more significant because the best attacker to date is not there at the moment. Omar Marmoush, the measure of all things with twelve competitive goals, is working for Egypt at the Africa Cup. Otherwise there is young striker Nacho Ferri, who wasn’t in the squad recently, and Jessic Ngankam, who mightn’t live up to expectations and is best loaned out to boost self-confidence and match practice. That was it in the attack from Eintracht Frankfurt. This is the status quo.
Which should be changed. And that’s where two candidates come into play who have been traded for a long time, but whose internal transfer ratings have changed. Arnaud Kalimuendo from Stade Rennes, who was supposedly the number one target, has now slipped a little further back in Eintracht’s favor. The Frenchman, who turns 22 on Saturday, is said to cost a good 20 million euros, which is too much for the Frankfurt team. The 1.75 meter attacker is on a good run and has scored four goals in the last three competitive games for Rennes. He’s in full swing and might be an immediate help.
Hugo Ekitike of PSG. © Matthieu Mirville / picture alliance / ZUMA Press Wire / dpa
The bustling center forward has an advantage over the other aspirants, but those in charge at Hesse are now focusing more on Hugo Ekitiké from Paris Saint-Germain. The 21-year-old has his regular place in the stands, but only played an eight-minute game on the first matchday once morest FC Lorient. But Eintracht’s sporting leadership, with Markus Krösche at the helm, thinks highly of the 1.89 meter tall striker, who not long ago was considered one of the greatest talents in France and was praised as a storm jewel.
Ekitiké to Eintracht? Reductions in salary necessary
However, his career stalled when he moved from Stade Reims to the capital a year and a half ago (for 36 million euros). While his debut season went reasonably well (four goals, four assists), he didn’t get a chance at all this season. Ekitiké is a player who seeks depth, fast, robust, technically good, his style of play is a bit reminiscent of Randal Kolo Muani, who is now employed at PSG but has a sad existence there.
Only one small light in the concert of the greats: the Paris substitute striker Hugo Ekitiké (l.). © IMAGO/ABACAPRESS
Whether the Reims-born player might help immediately is rather questionable due to his lack of match practice; he would certainly need a little time to get started. On the other hand, that’s exactly why Sasa Kalajdzic was brought in, who should work immediately, and Omar Marmoush will also return to Frankfurt in February at the latest.
Sports director Krösche expects medium to long-term help from Ekitiké; the deal should point to the future and the contract will run for years. The fast attacker also offers the potential to increase value. A club like Eintracht never ignores that. And it offers the player who has lost his way a little the opportunity to straighten out his career and get it back on track. Eintracht is a perfect platform for this, as it has proven often enough.
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Ekitiké, with whom Eintracht had already negotiated in the summer without really getting close, wouldn’t be a bargain either; the Frankfurt team would certainly have to give up 17 to 20 million euros. That’s a lot of money, but not an insurmountable hurdle. Especially since there were some tensions between the club officials in Paris and Eintracht surrounding the Kolo change, but these have long since been resolved. What’s more: PSG boss Nasser Al-Khelaifi has the highest respect for the work done in Frankfurt and has already publicly expressed his appreciation. And – unlike in the summer – the player would also be willing to make compromises in terms of salary. In Paris he earns more than seven million euros, less than half that would be earned in Frankfurt – but in return he has the prospect of revitalizing his career and getting started once more. At 21, everything is still ahead of him. But it already seems clear that a quick breakthrough is unlikely, but rather a tough struggle until the end of the transfer period on January 31st.
Lucas Bergvall: Barca and BVB as rivals for Eintracht
This might also be the case with offensive midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who Eintracht is trying hard to recruit. The 17-year-old is considered Sweden’s greatest talent and one of the most exciting young players in all of Europe. Eintracht is pulling out all the stops to lure the highly talented player to the Main and is prepared to compensate Bergvall’s parent club Djurgardens IF with 8.5 million euros. She really wants the player. Will that work?
The Frankfurters have great competition, FC Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund are also vying for the technician. The Hessians, however, demonstrate their history of dealing with talent and their credibility and show the Frankfurt way: It has long been known throughout Europe that highly gifted footballers can mature and develop in the city forest because they get playing time.
Eintracht can even enter the race with a current case study who might make an impression on Bergvall: Hugo Larsson. The midfielder has had a meteoric rise in Frankfurt, quickly developing into a top performer and a sought-following player, especially for Premier League clubs. The boy is only 19 years old – and Swedish. (dur)
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