Chelsea are understood to lead Liverpool in the race for Hugo Ekitike this summer.
Both Premier League outfits are in desperate need of an offensive rehaul this summer. The centre-forward position, in particular, is a key area in this regard.
Whilst Christopher Nkunku’s average numbers have been far from disappointing, the Blues appear to have every intention of parting with the 27-year-old.
In which case, one of Europe’s most exciting young attackers in Ekitike could represent a wise investment.
Chelsea ahead of Liverpool for Hugo Ekitike
Liverpool, in fairness, have overcome steep odds quite recently in their battle with German giants Bayern for Florian Wirtz.
More to the point, it seems the Reds won’t baulk at Eintracht Frankfurt’s reported €100m [£84m] price tag. That’s despite being prepared to fork out in excess of £100m for Bayer Leverkusen’s generational talent.
But for the time being, Christian Falk reports that Chelsea are in talks to sign Ekitike, and are firmly in the lead for that matter.
Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal were previously considered the top favourites for Hugo Ekitiké. But the three-man competition has now turned into a two-club battle,” the BILD reporter exclusively informed CaughtOffside.
“At the moment, Chelsea, who qualified for the Champions League in fourth place, hold the best cards in the Ekitiké poker. Chelsea are already in dialogue with the player’s side and could soon get serious.
“But Liverpool are also still in the race, despite the upcoming record transfer of Florian Wirtz.”
Darwin Nunez is yesterday’s news
It’s worth bearing in mind that the Reds’ needs are arguably far greater than their Premier League rivals when it comes to the striking department.
When it comes down to the numbers, Nkunku actually hasn’t had a terrible season for Enzo Maresca’s men
Of course, Chelsea will, quite reasonably argue that only three league goals in 2024/25 (with five coming in the UEFA Conference League) is an abysmal record. Mind, Darwin Nunez’s record isn’t much better with five Premier League goals this term.PlayersGoal contributionsMinutes per goal contributionChristopher Nkunku19107.31Nicolas Jackson18135.38Darwin Nunez14145.57Diogo Jota13140.92
* Goal contributions in all competitions in the 2024/25 season
Likewise, Liverpool will be keenly aware of the fact that they’ve relied on the wings (and, in particular, Mo Salah) to stump up the majority of their goals in a title-winning campaign.
There is an urgent need for threat down the middle, which Hugo Ekitike looks able to provide. Certainly, a rate of a goal contribution every 107.20 minutes (from 34 goal contributions in 48 games) is an eye-catching statistic in Bundesliga football.
The big question is whether this rate can neatly translate to life in the Premier League. Not to mention whether or not Liverpool are prepared to stick it out in the hopes of picking up a stronger hand.
They may be coming up against the champions, but Chelsea can still point to their Champions League qualification in their bid to secure Ekitike’s signature.
