Chelsea kick off their Club World Cup campaign on Monday evening, taking on Los Angeles FC in Atalanta.
The Stamford Bridge side have a relatively straightforward group that should see them progress into the knockout stages without much hassle.
Flamengo and ES Tunis are the club’s remaining fixtures in Group D of the inaugural competition. With a prize fund of around $125m for the winner, Enzo Maresca won’t be taking the tournament lightly.
Chelsea's Club World Cup fixtures
Date
Monday, June 16
Friday, June 20
Tuesday, June 24
While the focus will be on going as deep as possible across the pond, Maresca still has eyes on improving his squad ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Several players have been linked with moves to Chelsea in the previous few weeks. Jamie Gittens is someone that the Italian is desperate to sign, already having a bid rejected by Borussia Dortmund for the winger.
Benfica defender Tomas Araujo is another reported transfer target as Maresca seeks to bolster his defensive options, especially as the Blues return to the Champions League for the first time since 2022/23.
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While these two would be great signings, it is the club’s pursuit of Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitiké which is gathering the most attention in recent weeks.
Chelsea’s chase for Hugo Ekitike
The Blues aren’t the only team keen on signing the young French sensation this summer, as Manchester United have reportedly stepped into the frame.
It was never going to be that easy, especially considering how in demand the striker is following a stunning campaign at Frankfurt.
Indeed, across 48 games in all competitions, Ekitike scored 22 goals while registering 12 assists for the Bundesliga side.
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When compared to his peers across the top five European leagues, the 22-year-old ranks highly in several attacking metrics.
These include ranking in the top 6% for shot-creating actions (3.5) per 90, along with being in the top 7% for total shots (3.74) and in the top 10% for assists (0.29) per 90 over the previous 365 days.
Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.
There is no doubt about his talent. Combine this with the fact that he will only continue to get better, and Ekitike will be an excellent signing for a major European club this summer.
Do Chelsea need him, however? Nicolas Jackson may be a polarising figure among the supporters, but he still has plenty to offer, scoring 13 goals in 2024/25.
Liam Delap arrived for £30m, and he could be an excellent player for Chelsea should he get plenty of gametime under Maresca. Add in Marc Guiu and the Blues have three young, albeit very talented, centre-forwards.
Frankfurt are reportedly demanding a fee of around £84m to secure Ekitike’s signature this summer. This sort of money would be better spent on other areas of the first-team squad ahead of next season.
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The defence, for example, is a department which Maresca will be keen to strengthen, especially with players such as Axel Disasi and Ben Chilwell looking likely to depart.
As mentioned earlier, the Blues are looking at signing Araujo from Benfica in a bid to add some quality to the defence.
Maresca looks to be edging closer to a defensive signing, as a bid has been made for a current Serie A defender…
Chelsea submits bid for Lazio star
Chelsea have been chasing Lazio defender Mario Gila in recent weeks, and Maresca has now submitted a bid to lure the player to the Premier League.
According to reports in Italy, the Blues made an offer worth around £30m for the former Real Madrid centre-back, but this was swiftly rejected.
Lazio also rejected an improved offer from Bournemouth and are standing firm on their £50m asking price for the player.
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Given the current state of affairs in the Chelsea squad, spending this money on Gila rather than £85m on Ekitike could well be the wiser move by Maresca.
Why Chelsea must sign Mario Gila
The Blues conceded 59 goals across 57 matches in all competitions last season, with 43 of those coming in the Premier League.
It is hardly a terrible statistic, but with the club playing in the Champions League next term, an improvement will be sought, that’s for sure.
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Gila missed just six league games for Lazio last season and played a key role in their run to the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
In Serie A, he finished with an impressive pass success rate of 92%, while winning 55% of his total contested duels and losing possession just 6.4 times per match.
Passing is certainly his strong suit, and his ball-playing ability would see him fit in seamlessly with Maresca’s side.
Indeed, when compared to his positional peers in Serie A last season, Gila not only ranked in the top 11% for passes attempted per 90, but the Spaniard also ranked in the top 7% for progressive passes (5.16) and in the top 13% for progressive carries (1.58) per 90 is impressive to say the least.
These statistics prove that the defender loves to move the ball forward as often as possible, and this would be a huge advantage for Maresca.
The 24-year-old has received plenty of praise in the past for his defensive abilities, including when he first made the move to Lazio. “He is fast, intelligent and never puts a foot wrong,” said the then Lazio sporting director Igli Tare. He can become one of the top 3-4 defenders in the world and it wouldn't surprise me if Real wanted him back."
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The player might not have reached that level as of yet, but there is no doubt he is on the right path.
Ekitike would be an excellent signing, especially if he can replicate his form from last season in the Premier League.
For £85m, however, it would be a major gamble to take. By pursuing a move for Gila, not only would the club be bolstering a position that needs improvement, but they wouldn’t be spending as much money.
Time will tell whether the Blues sign either Ekitike or Gila. But on the surface, the Spaniard would be a better capture than the Frankfurt hitman.
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