According to German media sports1, Frankfurt sports director Marcus Kros talked about Ekitic in an interview.
Note: Ekitic and Frankfurt's contract expires in 2029. He made 48 appearances for Frankfurt this season, contributing 22 goals and 12 assists.
Marcus Kross said: "Ekitic is an extraordinary player. He played an important role in our promotion to the Champions League. He is only 22 years old and still has great development potential. If a player develops faster than we expect, then we will let him leave as long as our requirements are met."
" (selling players like Marmush and Ekitic) may harm the realization of our competitive goals in the short term, but we promised Ekitic that if there is a suitable club, he can leave. In addition, such transfer income is crucial to Frankfurt."
Ekitic is now valued in the transfer market at 55 million euros, but according to SPORT1's information, Frankfurt asked him for a transfer fee of at least 95 million euros before he could release him.