Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike gained a lot of admirers last season, including Chelsea.
Ekitike had an impressive 2024/25 campaign, recording 34 goal contributions in 48 outings.
Unsurprisingly, the 22-year-old is now attracting interest from more than one club, with Chelsea thought to be one outfit who are keen on him.
With the first summer transfer window closing on Tuesday evening, though, Chelsea will not sign Ekitike in time for the Club World Cup. While the Blues may be impressed with him right now, not everyone in the past has been.
Photo by Francesco Scaccianoce - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Photo by Francesco Scaccianoce – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Oscar Garcia claims coaches have questioned Hugo Ekitike’s character
Oscar Garcia managed Ekitike at Reims, so the Spaniard knows him well and has revealed that some in the game have had concerns about his character.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Garcia said: “He always was a talented player but some coaches did not like him because of his profile and sometimes because of his character. They were thinking he was a little bit arrogant. He always wanted to be compared with the best ones.”
Whatever the case, Ekitike is now one of the most exciting young forwards in football. His character is unlikely to deter the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool, with the Premier League champions also said to be interested in him.
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While there is no guarantee that Chelsea will sign Ekitike this summer, the Blues have at least been able to lure Liam Delap to Stamford Bridge to bolster their forward options.
Delap has already been at Cobham as he gears up for the Club World Cup, which kicks off on Sunday. Enzo Maresca‘s team begin the tournament the following day when they take on Los Angeles FC.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Oscar Garcia thinks Hugo Ekitike is a unique striker
While Garcia has explained why Maresca and Arne Slot could develop some concerns about Ekitike, the former Reims boss still thinks Chelsea or Liverpool could be getting a very unique forward.
In the same interview, he went on to add: “You do not find many strikers like him at his age. He is tall, fast, mobile, very good one against one, holds the ball and scores goals.”
One player who will definitely not be joining Chelsea is AC Milan’s Mike Maignan. Maignan was a target for Chelsea, but it is now being widely reported that the Conference League winners have walked away from a deal after failing to reach an agreement over a fee.