Liverpool now set to battle Chelsea for Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike after being dealt blow in Alexander Isak transfer pursuit

After a breakthrough season in the Bundesliga, Ekitike is now attracting interest from top English clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. The former Paris Saint-Germain player is in demand after Newcastle United secured a Champions League slot and are now unlikely to sell Alexander Isak this summer, according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri.

The Independent reports that the Blues are now actively looking for a new striker after securing a Champions League slot with a win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday. Enzo Maresca has prepared a shortlist of forwards as the Italian looks to bolster his attack. Other than Ekitike, Chelsea are also interested in outgoing Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres and Ipswich Town's Liam Delap.

In the 2024-25 campaign, 22-year-old Ekitike appeared in 48 matches across all competitions, where he scored 22 goals and provided eight assists as Eintracht Frankfurt finished third in the league table.

The Reds will remain busy in the summer transfer window as Arne Slot looks to bolster his squad with new signings. They are already in advanced talks to sign Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen and have also initiated talks with Bournemouth over Milos Kerkez' transfer.