The stage is set for Chelsea to launch a summer bid for Hugo Ekitike, who has already turned down one of the Blues' main rivals. And not only that, but the player comes highly recommended, given Lionel Messi once took the player under his wing.
That was during the forward's ill-fated days at Paris Saint-Germain, where he worked under eight-time Ballon d'Or-winner Messi before being jettisoned to Eintracht Frankfurt. Some would view that move as a downgrade, but Ekitike has grasped his opportunity with both hands and seen his stock soar after netting 22 goals in 45 appearances this season.
The breakout campaign has earned the attention of Chelsea, who view the 22-year-old as an alternative to the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Liam Delap, according to The Independent. Ekitike won't come cheap as a potential Nicolas Jackson replacement, however, given he's contracted in Frankfurt until 2029 and is understood to be valued at around £84million.
It's also not the first time Premier League interest has been raised, after Newcastle failed in a previous bid for the player back in 2022. Ekitike was still with Reims at the time, but he opted to stay in France and join PSG – though things didn't work out too badly for the Magpies as they opted to sign prolific goalscorer Alexander Isak instead.
Fast-forward to today, and the forward will likely cost more than three times the £25m fee PSG shelled out for his signature three years ago.
"I had lots of clubs and Paris' offer arrived. That was that. The next logical step," he told UEFA's official website at the time. "Paris are the biggest club in France right now, winning everything. They had the best players in the world. How could I say no?
"I told my brother. I said, 'I want to go there straight away.' That's all I told him. Obviously, in terms of longevity, I'm not going to say that my time in Paris was the happiest moment of my life but today, when I look back, I say to myself that maybe it was necessary.
"I've got so many goals. I've got so many things ahead of me that I don't regret breaking my back sometimes. It's all part of my journey and I'm proud of it."
Hugo Ekitike of Eintracht Frankfurt (R) and Niels Nkounkou of Eintracht Frankfurt celebrate the victory after the Bundesliga match between Sport-Club Freiburg and Eintracht Frankfurt
Ekitike has enjoyed a breakout campaign after scoring 22 goals in 48 games for Eintracht Frankfurt (Image: Sebastian El-Saqqa - firo sportphoto/Getty Images)
Enzo Maresca has long sought attacking reinforcements at Stamford Bridge, where the Blues have looked depleted up front since Jackson's recent red card at Newcastle shortened their options even further.
Chelsea have high hopes for former Barcelona prospect Marc Guiu, but the 19-year-old is still a work in progress. Maresca's men can, though, hope to lure top talent to Stamford Bridge this summer after securing Champions League football by beating Nottingham Forest on the final day to finish fourth in the table, with Ekitike believed high on their wishlist. And he certainly isn't short of admirers within the game.
L'Equipe reported in September 2022 how Messi had taken the attacker under his wing following Ekitike's move to Paris – even nicknaming the player "iron rod" due to his slight frame.
He has put that frame to fine use this term, however, and holds no regrets concerning the pathway that got him to becoming one of the most sought-after youngsters in Europe right now.
Despite having a slightly sub-par season compared to the previous campaign, Cole Palmer still dominated as Chelsea's top scorer with 15 Premier League goals. Jackson came second on that list with 10 goals (as well as five assists) in 30 appearances, but those aren't quite the kind of predatory figures Blues fans hope to see from a frontman.
Referee, John Brooks talks to Nicolas Jackson of Chelsea after Jackson clashed with Sven Botman of Newcastle United, which lead to Jackson being shown a red card during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Chelsea
Nicolas Jackson was recently sent off against Newcastle, leaving Chelsea light in attack for their final games of the league campaign (Image: Chelsea Football Club/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Ekitike, on the other hand, impressed with 15 goals and eight assists in 33 Bundesliga outings this term. Only the Bayern Munich duo of Harry Kane (34) and Michael Olise (27) had more direct goal involvements in Germany's top flight.
It's little wonder Frankfurt have slapped such a significant price tag on the France Under-21 international, which is six times the £14m they paid for his services.
It may yet see the German club continue their trend of turning unproven attacking gems into lucrative sales, following in the footsteps of Randal Kolo Muani, Luka Jovic, Sebastien Haller and, most recently, Omar Marmoush following his successful January switch to Manchester City.