Chelsea move 'clear' in race to beat Liverpool to £60m Hugo Ekitike transfer

Chelsea are said to have stolen a march on in the race to bring Hugo Ekitike to the by advancing in talks with Eintracht Frankfurt over a deal for the Frenchman.

The Blues are among a number of top-flight sides and, like the newly minted Premier League champions, after watching the 22-year-old break the 20-goal barrier for Frankfurt last season.

Liverpool are as they bid to build on winning the title under in the Dutchman's first season.

And while the Reds may have finished well above last term, a new report from has revealed that the Londoners have 'ramped up' their efforts to beat their rivals to a deal for Ekitike.

It's said that Chelsea are now 'clear' in their attempts to sign the former striker, who has been valued at £60million by Frankfurt.

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The Blues are still on the lookout for a new marquee striker to spearhead their frontline next season, despite .

As it stands, Delap, 22, will compete with Nicolas Jackson for a starting spot under Enzo Maresca. But with the Blues back in the next year, they are pushing hard to add Ekitike to their growing pool of attackers.

Landing the France Under-21 star would be a huge coup for Chelsea, who finished fourth in the Premier League and won the Europa Conference League in Maresca's maiden campaign.

Would Ekitike be a good signing for Chelsea?

Axel Hellmann, a Frankfurt board member and the club's former chief executive, recently that confirmed there was strong Premier League interest in Ekitike, speculating that 'half' the clubs in England's top-flight. He said: “I would love to have him at Frankfurt for another ten years, if possible.

“But we are realistic. He is one of the best high-potential players in Europe at the moment and he is only 22. That means he has a great future.

“He is a clever guy. He loves to listen and learn. I would love him to stay another couple of years. But the market is the market and half of the Premier League clubs are interested in signing him.”

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