Who is Hugo Ekitike - the French wonderkid who is dubbed as the ‘next Kylian Mbappe’?

With domestic leagues across Europe coming to an end, the time for transfer speculations has arrived. Some teams have met their goals, while others have fallen short of their potential. Then there are a few clubs, including some big names, that are in severe need of a huge overhaul. Hence, it is not surprising to see various names thrown around in the transfer gossip section. Some agents use this time of the year as an opportunity to elevate the status of the players they are representing to increase their market value. From world-class players to promising young talents, many names are regularly linked with top European giants. One such player is Hugo Ekitike.

The 19-year-old wonderkid is believed to be the next big thing in French football. Playing for Stade de Reims, the 6ft 2in striker has already drawn comparisons with many players, notably a French national striker, Kylian Mbappe. He has also been compared to another former French centre-forward David Trezeguet, who famously missed the spot-kick in France’s 2006 World Cup final defeat against Italy. Keeping the miss aside, Trezeguet has done plenty of other good things, including scoring the winner against Italy in the 2000 Euro final. Mbappe himself is a World Cup winner in 2018. Getting compared to these big names can be a big burden on anyone’s shoulders but still many believe Ekitike will make a name for himself in the near future.

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Who is Hugo Ekitike?

Ekitike was considered a promising talent from a very young age. He started at Cormontreuil FC before joining the youth set-up of Stade de Reims in 2013. The 6ft 2in striker signed his first professional contract with Reims in July 2020 before making his debut with the senior team in a 3-1 Ligue 1 loss to Lorient that October. In January 2021, he moved to Danish Superliga club Vejle Boldklub on loan for the remainder of the campaign and scored thrice in 11 appearances. However, it is this season that he made a name for himself. He scored 10 goals in 26 appearances for Reims and nine of them came in the league, while the other goal was in the national cup. 

Why is Hugo Ekitike compared to Kylian Mbappe?

Kylian Mbappe is arguably the hottest prospect in world football right now. The 23-year-old Paris Saint-Germain player has already won the World Cup with his national team in 2018 and has been a key player for his current side. After shining with another French club – AS Monaco – PSG got the services of Mbappe in 2017. So far he has lived up to his potential by scoring several crucial goals for his team in big matches. His raw pace and dribbling ability combined with a clinical finish make him the perfect striker.

Hugo Ekitike also has similar traits. The 19-year-old likes to drift wide and cut inside with his excellent dribbling skills. He is quick, with and without the ball, and is a good striker of the ball too. Ekitike is more than just goals. He links up the play excellently with his teammates and has a good eye for a pass. These features of the youngster have drawn comparisons with Mbappe. Besides, Ekitike’s movements also have some similarities to former French centre-forward David Trezeguet, who won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 Euros with his national team.

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All season, Stade de Reims have scored only 41 goals in 37 league matches and nine of those belong to Hugo Ekitike. It makes one wonder what his output would be if he plays for a big European team that creates him a lot of chances. He was reportedly close to joining Newcastle United last January and now is linked to Manchester United and Arsenal among others. It is not clear where he will end up this summer. But one thing is a near-certainty that Ekitike has a bright future ahead of him.