Paris Saint-Germain is betting on Hugo Ekitike being the next great French striker. The 20-year-old arrived from Stade de Reims this past summer transfer window on a loan deal with an obligation to buy.
The capital club will have to pay €28.5 million upfront, so sporting advisor Luis Campos is taking a risk on Ekitike rather than going for a more experienced striker that can play alongside Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappe.
Nonetheless, midway through his first season in the French capital, Ekitike spoke to Canal Plus about what he has experienced as a young player attempting to fit in on a team challenging for trophies domestically and internationally.
“I know why I came here,” Ekitike said. “Of course, when you arrive at a club like this, there are a lot of expectations. People expect performance and inevitably if it does not come, we ask ourselves questions.
.@hekitike9 parle de la pression qu'il subit depuis son arrivée au PSG 🗣️
Une interview à retrouver avant PSG / Strasbourg, demain à 21H sur CANAL+SPORT360 ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/sPXsBzZnpZ
— CANAL+ Foot (@CanalplusFoot) December 27, 2022
“I’m in a position where I’m always going to be challenged because I came with a big tag. You have to accept it, it’s not a problem. I assume it; if I’m bad, I’m the first to say it and if I’m good, I’ll be there and I’ll continue to be good.”
Ekitike has the talent to play at PSG; Campos wouldn’t have brought the young striker if he didn’t and it’s all about finding confidence. The France international scored in the final game right before the World Cup break against AJ Auxerre.
The young player hopes it opens the floodgates regarding goal scoring for him in this second half of the season.
