Liverpool are among the top European teams who have been linked with Hugo Ekitike this summer but Chelsea have stepped up their efforts to sign the France Under-21 star
Chelsea are said to have stolen a march on Liverpool in the race to bring Hugo Ekitike to the Premier League by advancing in talks with Eintracht Frankfurt over a deal for the Frenchman.
The Blues are among a number of top-flight sides looking for a new No.9 this summer and, like the newly minted Premier League champions, have set their sights on Ekitike after watching the 22-year-old break the 20-goal barrier for Frankfurt last season.
Liverpool are poised to replace Darwin Nunez with a new frontman as they bid to build on winning the title under Arne Slot in the Dutchman's first season.
And while the Reds may have finished well above Chelsea last term, a new report from L'Equipe has revealed that the Londoners have 'ramped up' their efforts to beat their rivals to a deal for Ekitike.
It's said that Chelsea are now 'clear' in their attempts to sign the former Paris Saint-Germain striker, who has been valued at £60million by Frankfurt.
The Blues are still on the lookout for a new marquee striker to spearhead their frontline next season, despite closing in on a £30m deal for Ipswich Town's Liam Delap.
As it stands, Delap, 22, will compete with Nicolas Jackson for a starting spot under Enzo Maresca. But with the Blues back in the Champions League next year, they are pushing hard to add Ekitike to their growing pool of attackers.
Landing the France Under-21 star would be a huge coup for Chelsea, who finished fourth in the Premier League and won the Europa Conference League in Maresca's maiden campaign.
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Axel Hellmann, a Frankfurt board member and the club's former chief executive, recently that confirmed there was strong Premier League interest in Ekitike, speculating that 'half' the clubs in England's top-flight. He said: “I would love to have him at Frankfurt for another ten years, if possible.
“But we are realistic. He is one of the best high-potential players in Europe at the moment and he is only 22. That means he has a great future.
“He is a clever guy. He loves to listen and learn. I would love him to stay another couple of years. But the market is the market and half of the Premier League clubs are interested in signing him.”
Rimcimnrtu
10
players from the bundesliga don't do well in Chelsea e.g Timo Werner, Havertz, Pulisic and Nkunku, they were all doing well at the bundesliga but when they came to Chelsea they don't perform to satisfaction, so buying Hugo Ekitike is not a good idea to me