From the Danish first division to Paris Saint-Germain, there is only one step.
Almost two years ago, Hugo Ekitike played for Velje, on loan from Stade de Reims.
Then returned to Champagne and after a convincing first season in Ligue 1, the slender striker (1.90m) changed in size by joining PSG, on loan with an option to buy.
After the formalization of the transfer on Saturday evening, the player delivered his first reactions in a video broadcast by the PSG Twitter account.
🎙️ @hekitike9: "Paris is the choice of the heart" ❤️💙#WelcomeHugo
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) July 16, 2022
From the start, Hugo Ekitike evokes his "joy and his pride" and claims to have made "the choice of the heart".
“I am French, there are players who are here, all of this impacts my choice.
And then I have my family in the Paris region ”, justifies the center forward, long tracked by Newcastle, who had even reached an agreement with Reims on the basis of a transfer.
“It was a logical choice to come here.
There are the players to progress, the staff, a coach with a lot of experience, the competitions to progress.
All the ingredients are there for me to progress”, assures the one who will have to find a place in a very supplied offensive sector and who could register a new reinforcement with the Italian Gianluca Scamacca.
“I like when there is expectation around me”
By landing in such a European team, expectations will be higher around the 20-year-old striker who could be the understudy of Kylian Mbappé, his idol, during a particular season with in particular the World Cup in November.
But Ekitike assures him, he doesn't feel any pressure: “I still have confidence in my game and in myself and above all I can't wait to be on the field to play and show what I can do.
I have no pressure, no doubt, I know what I am capable of and I can't wait to be able to show that”.
On the contrary, the attacker rather intends to feed on these new eyes fixed on him.
“The fans, the fans of the stadium, it's something that comes into play because I like when there is tension, expectation around me, it pushes me to give the best.
I want to bring my touch, my character and my way of appropriating football, to have my impact in the game and to show how Hugo Ekitike plays,” he continued.
Author of 10 goals in 24 Ligue 1 games last season, the former RĂ©mois seems ready for the big leap.
Before that, he should join his new teammates in Tokyo for the Japan Tour very soon.
