Chelsea have already signed a striker this summer in the form of Liam Delap, but it looks like they have their eyes on another one. Christopher Nkunku is expected to leave the club on a permanent basis in this window, while there is also uncertainty around the future of Marc Guiu, who could be sent out on loan. That does open up roster spots for the Blues.
Hugo Ekitike is someone who has been on the radar of Chelsea going back to his days at Reims. They did not end up signing him back then though, and that has turned out to be a costly mistake.
Ekitike has developed into one of the most exciting youngsters in Europe and it is believed that Eintracht Frankfurt, his current club, now want a €100 million transfer fee to part ways with him. Are Chelsea willing to pay that kind of a figure for the 22-year-old Frenchman?
For now, the answer seems to be no. While speaking on the Here We Go Podcast, Fabrizio Romano said:
"Chelsea are not going to pay that money. So, Ekitike remains a player appreciated, a player in the list but Chelsea are not paying 100 million euros at the moment, then what happens later in the window I don't know but at the moment this deal is in standby, is not close and my understanding is for Club World Cup impossible in terms of timing because at the moment they are not even advancing in a negotiation."
Fabrizio Romano drops major Hugo Ekitike to Chelsea update
There is no doubt that Ekitike is a talented player. He has drawn comparisons with Alexander Isak, who is arguably the best forward in the Premier League right now. That being said, the Frenchman has a lot of areas in need of improvement before he can be considered a €100 million player.
The underlying numbers suggest that his finishing was worse that Nicolas Jackson last season. That is something that will scare Chelsea fans.
There is a lot to like about Jackson's game as well, but it is his finishing that lets him down time after again. Chelsea won't want a similar player, especially for three times the transfer fee.
Also, Ekitike is not strong. The lack of physicality could be a major problem in the Premier League, where there is a lot more focus on the defensive side of the game than in the Bundesliga. It is not a coincidence that so many forwards have scored for fun in Germany only to struggle in England. Nkunku and Timo Werner are great examples.