Chelsea are understood to be firming up their interest in Hugo Ekitike this summer.
Premier League rivals Liverpool were thought to likewise be keen on the Frankfurt hitman. However, it’s clear that Arne Slot’s men are giving priority to ongoing talks with Bayer Leverkusen over the transfer of Florian Wirtz.
Rightly so, one might add, given the German international’s generational status in world football.
That said, there’s a chance such a strategy may lead the Reds to miss out on the Bundesliga striker.
Chelsea take meet with Hugo Ekitike camp
Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg reported on Friday that Chelsea were pushing to finalise a move for Ekitike.
It appears that the intensity of the Blues’ pursuit hasn’t weakened, with RMC Sport reporter Fabrice Hawkins confirming on X (formerly Twitter) that the Blues are in ongoing negotiations.
❗️🔵 Chelsea are still considering signing Hugo Ekitike this summer and negotiations ongoing with player’s camp.
🔹A meeting took place between the two parties in recent days.
🔹Contact has therefore not been broken off, even though the deal has not progressed.➡️ Frankfurt… pic.twitter.com/ZJBMfxp5gs
— Fabrice Hawkins (@FabriceHawkins) June 7, 2025
Frankfurt are understood to be demanding €100m [£84.3m] for their No.11 after he registered 22 goals and 12 assists in 48 appearances (across all competitions) in 2024/25.
His current contract is set to run until the summer of 2029.
Liverpool have the advantage of time
Look, Frankfurt have absolutely every right to be asking for top dollar for a striker with serious potential in world football. Especially in light of the fact that his contract has another four years left on the clock.
Even though Chelsea may reasonably argue their need for a top striker borders on desperate, it’s difficult to see them making a serious breakthrough before the June 10 deadline.
In which case, this should grant us enough time to work out the specifics of a Liverpool move for Hugo Ekitike and whether it hinges on sales first taking place.
When does the summer transfer window reopen?
The provisional summer transfer window closes on Tuesday June 10 at 7pm [BST] ahead of the Club World Cup.
The summer transfer window proper will reopen on Monday June 16, running through to Monday September 1.
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