Source: Chelsea told to pay €100m for striker and it’s not a bluff | OneFootball

There is still one game left to play this season for Chelsea – a European final no less – but with Champions League qualification for next year now secured, their transfer business can begin in earnest.

The top priority is signing a striker – just as it was last summer. The names have been doing the rounds for months (and in some cases years) – Liam Delap, Viktor Gyokeres, Victor Osimhen, Benjamin Sesko…

Ekitike moving to the front of the queue

Hugo Ekitike celebrates scoring for Eintracht Frankfurt. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

But one that’s been gaining more momentum in the last few days is Hugo Ekitike. The Athletic’s report yesterday went into a lot of detail about a potential Premier League move for the Frankfurt striker, and slapped an eye watering €100m price tag on his head.

The Blues want to “conclude early summer transfer business as quickly as possible” as they try to sort as many deals as they can before the Club World Cup next month.

Frankfurt know they’re in a strong position with Ekitike

Ekitike is still just 22 and made his loan from PSG to the Bundesliga permanent just last summer. The Athletic’s sources say that the €100m can be paid in a “negotiable” structure, but more than anything a fee of that size just tells you he’s locked in on a long contract they’re and Frankfurt can effectively ask for whatever they like.

The German club got €75m for Omar Marmoush in January and €95m for Randal Kolo Muani in 2023. They’ve also now qualified for the Champions League, strengthening their hand even further.

We’ve seen this Chelsea ownership spend this sort of money on a couple of occasions, so it’s not impossible. But it seems like a hugely expensive deal we’re not sure they’ll want to go through with while they still feel there are other tempting options out there.