Chief football writer claims Chelsea “extensively discuss” move for €100 striker after losing out on top target | OneFootball

With Champions League football secured, Chelsea can start shopping at the top table again. And that means Liam Delap is back on the menu.

The Ipswich striker feels like the most likely addition Chelsea will make, simply because of his release clause making him so much better value than anyone else. But if he’s snapped up by someone else, we will have to look further afield, and by the looks of a report from Miguel Delaney in the Independent today, that could well mean a move for Hugo Ekitike.

Ekitike moves to top of Chelsea list as Delap hopes fade

Liam Delap celebrates a goal. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

He writes that Chelsea have already “discussed” making a move for the Frankfurt striker. Delaney’s belief is that “Manchester United are now expected to sign Delap, leaving Chelsea to extensively discuss a move for Ekitike.”

After a promising loan, the former PSG striker made his move to the Bundesliga permanent, and has scored 22 in 45 for Frankfurt, contributing to an impressive season and garnering a lot of attention from across the continent.

Huge demands for Ekitike an issue for Chelsea – but not impossible

As ever, though, the money is that will be the issue. Delaney writes that Frankfurt are holding out for €100m for their prize asset, knowing he’s got years of contract left and isn’t yet making a major push to leave.

We’ve seen this ownership spend more than €100m on players twice before, and it’s not impossible we see it again, especially if they’re able to shift some of their high earners early in the summer. A successful run at the Club World Cup next month would also free up headroom for this sort of extravagant spending.

Given our record with strikers however, we would be very wary spending those sort of sums.