Did not come into play on Saturday evening, during the victory of PSG in Nice (2-0) counting for the 30th day of Ligue 1, Hugo Ekitike updated his bio on Instagram. We can now read “sub 44” in the description… which looks very much like an expression of frustration with his low playing time.
Hugo Ekitike probably imagined playing more for his first season in Paris. Recruited last summer by PSG against a check for 36 million euros (in the form of a loan with a mandatory purchase option), the former Reims striker is struggling to win. Even beyond a possible place of holder, the player struggles even to set himself up as a serious option in the mind of Christophe Galtier to scratch time on the ground.
“Sub 44”
Is that why he just changed his bio on Instagram? As noticed by many PSG followers, Hugo Ekitike has now entered “sub 44” in the description of his account. Reference of course to the number of his jersey first… but above all to his low playing time, his status as a substitute.
Last January, Hugo Ekitike probably thought he would take advantage of his good work during the World Cup break to scratch some playing time. But he does not seem to be a preferential option for his coach, even when Neymar is out until the end of the season. Since the Brazilian has been absent, Christophe Galtier has opted for a solution with two in front (Messi and Mbappé). Hugo Ekitike therefore plays little.
On January 30, the president of Reims Jean-Pierre Caillot evoked the complicated beginnings of his former player in Paris: “I discussed it again with Luis Campos (the sports adviser of PSG, editor’s note) and I consider that they did not made a mistake by targeting a boy like Ekitike, who has a profile and who will be one day, you will see, a very great player, he explained in Rothen ignites. He will confirm. He is a player who is full of qualities . I don’t feel like I cheated Paris Saint-Germain.”
