Chelsea move for Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike falls through

Chelsea continues to search for a new striker, but their pursuit of Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike has reportedly fallen through after failing to agree on a deal with the German side, who are still holding out for their €100 million release clause.

According to RMC Sport’s Fabrice Hawkins, no progress has been made so far regarding a deal with the Bundesliga side.

Despite signing English striker Liam Delap from Ipswich Town, the Conference League champions remain interested in a move for the former Reims and PSG striker.

In the 2024/25 season, Ekitike bagged 22 goals in 48 appearances for Frankfurt, who qualified for next season’s Champions League.

The 22-year-old has an agreement with the German side following a positive campaign that has seen him attract several interests from top European clubs, such as Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool.

RMC Sport reports that a meeting took place between the two parties in recent days, even though the deal shows no sign of progression.

Ekitike scored 22 goals and provided eight assists in 48 appearances

The report, however, adds that the Bundesliga side has no intention yet of lowering its demands of a €100m price tag on their prized asset.

Meanwhile, the Blues are refusing to go beyond €80m (£67.4m) for the French international, which has slowed all negotiations so far.

Some reports also reveal that Liverpool are also interested in Ekitike, but their main focus is to reach an agreement with Bayer Leverkusen for Florian Wirtz. Last week, reports in Germany claimed that Liverpool had held initial talks over a move for Ekitike.

Earlier this week, Ekitike pulled out of France’s Under-21s squad for their European Championship campaign due to a back injury.

Chelsea, meanwhile, begin their Club World Cup campaign against Los Angeles FC on June 16.

Maresca’s side will then play Flamengo on June 20 before finishing their Group D campaign against ES Tunis on June 20.

Chelsea remains in talks with the German side, as they hope to finalise an agreement that could benefit both parties in Ekitike’s potential move to the Premier League next season.