Chelsea are reportedly in the hunt for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, who has also turned down a move to Newcastle in the past, while Lionel Messi is also a big fan
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Hugo Ekitike celebrating a goal
Chelsea are mulling over a move to Hugo Ekitike(Image: Getty Images)
Chelsea are poised to make a summer swoop for Hugo Ekitike, who has previously snubbed one of their domestic rivals. The striker comes highly recommended, with Lionel Messi, who played with him at Paris Saint-Germain, a big fan of the youngster.
Ekitike's time at PSG was short-lived before he moved to Eintracht Frankfurt. Despite some seeing this as a step down, Ekitike has seized his chance, scoring 22 goals in 45 games this season and boosting his reputation.
According to The Independent, Chelsea see the 22-year-old as an alternative to Viktor Gyokeres and Liam Delap - both of whom are heavily linked with Arsenal and Manchester United respectively. However, an upgrade on Nicolas Jackson won't come cheap - with Ekitike contracted to Frankfurt until 2029 and believed to be worth around £84million.
This isn't the first time Premier League clubs have shown interest, with Newcastle having a bid rejected in 2022. At the time, Ekitike was still with Reims but chose to stay in France and join PSG.
However, things didn't turn out too badly for the Magpies, who ended up signing prolific striker Alexander Isak instead. Fast forward to today, and Ekitike's price tag is likely to be more than triple the £25m fee PSG paid for him three years ago.
"I had lots of clubs and Paris' offer arrived. That was that. The next logical step," he told to 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.
Lionel Messi celebrates with Presnel Kimpembe, Kylian Mbappe and Hugo Ekitike of Paris Saint Germain
Hugo Ekitike (R) played with the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar at PSG
"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."
Enzo Maresca has long been on the hunt for attacking reinforcements at Stamford Bridge, where the Blues have looked thin on the ground up front, particularly with Jackson's recent absences due to injury and suspension.
Chelsea have high expectations for former Barcelona prospect Marc Guiu, but the 19-year-old is still developing. However, Maresca's squad can hope to attract top talent to Stamford Bridge this summer after securing Champions League football by defeating Nottingham Forest on the final day to finish fourth in the table, with Ekitike believed to be high on their wishlist.
Hugo Ekitike celebrating
Ekitike has scored 22 goals in all competitions this season
And he certainly isn't lacking in admirers within the game. L'Equipe revealed in 2022 that Messi had taken new PSG signing Ekitike under his wing, affectionately dubbing him "iron rod" due to his slender build.
Ekitike has certainly made the most of his physique this season, with no regrets about the journey that's made him one of Europe's hottest young talents.
Cole Palmer may not have matched his previous season's heights but still led Chelsea's scoring charts with 15 Premier League goals. Jackson trailed with 10 goals and five assists in 30 games, figures that fall short of what Chelsea fans expect from their first-choice centre forward.
Palmer and Jackson celebrating
Palmer and Jackson lead the goalscoring charts for Chelsea this season, but the Blues need more firepower up front
Meanwhile, Ekitike has shone in the Bundesliga, netting 15 goals and providing eight assists in 33 matches. Only Bayern Munich's prolific pair Harry Kane, with 34, and Michael Olise, with 27, outperformed him in terms of goal contributions in Germany's top division.
Frankfurt's hefty valuation of the France Under-21 star is six times the £14m they invested in him, potentially continuing their knack for transforming raw attacking talent into profitable sales, as seen with Randal Kolo Muani, Luka Jovic, Sebastien Haller, and Omar Marmoush's recent successful move to Manchester City.
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