Chelsea have Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike on their shortlist going into the summer transfer window.
The Blues are keen on bringing a new centre-forward to Stamford Bridge, with Ekitike just one name currently on their radar.
As well as the 22-year-old, Chelsea are also interested in Liam Delap, who is available following Ipswich Town’s relegation.
Enzo Maresca‘s side had to play their final Premier League game of the season without a recognised striker, as Nicolas Jackson was suspended, while Marc Guiu had just returned from injury.
Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images
Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images
Chelsea told to pay Hugo Ekitike’s asking price or miss out on him
Last month, it was reported that Eintracht had slapped a €100m price tag on Ekitike after the Frenchman’s impressive season in Germany.
Chelsea will want to sign him for a lower fee, but it appears that Eintracht have no interest in negotiating.
Journalist Florian Plettenberg has shared on X that while the Blues are in the race for Ekitike’s signature, Eintracht CEO Markus Krosche has made it clear that they either pay the €100m or watch their target remain at Deutsche Bank Park.
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Chelsea’s current owners have not been afraid to splash the cash on young players, spending more than £100m each on Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez.
It will now be interesting to see whether they are willing to offer a huge fee for Ekitike as well. With Delap costing only £30m thanks to a release clause, signing him may be viewed as the more sensible option.
Photo by Vince Mignott/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images
Photo by Vince Mignott/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images
Hugo Ekitike’s 2024/25 season stats
Ekitike finished the 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign with a very good record. In 33 appearances, the France U21 international scored 15 goals and provided eight assists.
Ekitike’s numbers in the cup competitions were not too bad either, with the former Paris Saint-Germain man netting four times in the Europa League.
Competition Appearances Goals Assists
Bundesliga 33 15 8
Europa League 12 4 3
DFB-Pokal 3 3 1
Total 48 22 12
He is a young and exciting striker, hence Chelsea’s interest in him. But it is going to take a lot of money to bring Ekitike to west London this summer.