'Really crazy': Wesley Sneijder once said that Arsenal's new striker target is a mix of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe

03/27/2025 04:15 PM

Arsenal have been linked with a move to sign a number of strikers this summer.

The Gunners have been in need of a prolific centre-forward for a long time now. Their last proper goalscorer was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – he left the club over three years ago.

The Arsenal board failed to bring in a new striker despite Gabriel Jesus’ season-ending injury in January, and that has all but cost them the Premier League title.

The same mistake cannot be repeated in the summer, and the Gunners are now targeting another number nine other than Alexander Isak and Benjamin Sesko.

Wesley Sneijder’s comments about Hugo Ekitike should excite Arsenal fans

Hugo Ekitike is the new name on Arsenal’s radar.

Gunners fans have been bombarded with links to Isak and Sesko for over a year now, but those two aren’t the only names on their list.

TBR Football exclusively revealed on Thursday that Arsenal have asked to be kept informed of Hugo Ekitike’s situation ahead of the summer transfer window.

The 22-year-old Frenchman is having a tremendous campaign in Germany at Eintracht Frankfurt, and he is attracting a lot of interest.

TBR can confirm that along with Arsenal, fellow Premier League sides Liverpool, Newcastle United and Aston Villa are all keeping an eye on him as well.

Ekitike may not be as exciting a name for some Arsenal fans as Isak or Sesko, but what Dutch legend Wesley Sneijder once said about him will surely excite Gunners supporters.

Earlier this month, after seeing Ekitike score against Ajax, Sneijder said on Ziggo Sport during their coverage of the game: “I’ll tell you, I’ve seen a lot of this boy.

“Now, I may say something really crazy, but I’ll say it anyway: I think he is a mix between Neymar and Mbappe. I sincerely mean that. "

"He has that grace from Neymar but also the movements of Mbappe. Suddenly accelerating – that’s something Mbappé also has. And he is only 22 years old. There is really a lot of potential in this boy.”

Hugo Ekitike’s stats compared to Alexander Isak and Benjamin Sesko

It is clear that the top two names on Arsenal’s wish list are Isak and Sesko.

The Newcastle United star is the dream target for many Arsenal fans, while Sesko would be welcomed with open arms at the Emirates as well.

But, how does Ekitike fare against them? Let’s have a look:

As the table shows above, Isak is the best of the lot, and that explains why Arsenal have him on top of their summer transfer wish list.

However, what’s interesting is that Ekitike has produced better numbers than Sesko. That gives Mikel Arteta some food for thought ahead of the summer transfer window.

For those wondering, Ekitike will cost around £60 million this summer, which is similar to what RB Leipzig want for Sesko. Isak, on the other hand, will cost more than twice that figure.