Chelsea are still on the hunt for another striker, despite already signing Liam Delap in time for the Club World Cup, but this is a transfer which may have to wait until further down the line this summer.

Chelsea tipped for second centre-forward signing after Liam Delap

Enzo Maresca's forward line could look very different by the beginning of 2025/2026.

Despite scoring in the Conference League final against Real Betis, helping Chelsea win their first major trophy under Maresca in the process, it has been a tough 2025 for Nicolas Jackson.

The Senegalese has scored just one Premier League goal this calendar year and suffered a real downturn in form beyond the turn of the year, combined with injuries and suspensions.

While Chelsea aren't pushing Jackson out of the door, it is believed that they will listen to suitable offers, with Manchester United, Aston Villa, Inter Milan, and Atletico Madrid all expressing an interest recently (Simon Phillips).

His departure could also prove key to Chelsea making room for another prolific centre-forward after Delap, which is something Stamford Bridge officials are apparently keen to do.

One name has dominated the headlines when it comes to BlueCo potentially bringing in another new number nine - Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike.

Chelsea have held talks with Eintracht over a deal for Ekitike, and even mooted the possibility of players going the other way in a part-exchange.

The Frenchman is also said to be very keen on a move to west London (Simon Phillips), but the sticking point throughout this saga has been Ekitike's lofty £84 million asking price.

The 22-year-old is fresh off the back of an electric campaign, scoring 22 goals and assisting 12 others in all competitions, which has prompted his side to stand firm over a sky-high price in negotiations so far.

However, according to TEAMtalk, Chelsea may not have to go that high after all.

Chelsea believe £65 million Hugo Ekitike could rival Alexander Isak

As per their information, the club's recruitment team hold a genuine belief that Ekitike will end up rivaling Newcastle United star Alexander Isak, with Chelsea making him a "high-priority" target as a result.

It is also believed that £65 million could even be enough for Chelsea to sign Ekitike this summer, and their public £84 million valuation is merely "posturing" in an attempt to look strong during negotiations.

The report adds that Chelsea have been in direct contact with the former PSG striker's camp, echoing other media sources, but the complexity of this deal means this could be one that remains ongoing for a while yet.

In any case, he is clearly highly-rated within Cobham, not to mention the rest of the footballing world.

“I might say something really crazy, but I’ll say it anyway: I think he’s a mix between Neymar and [Kylian] Mbappé. I sincerely think so," said former Netherlands star Wesley Sneijder.

“He has the grace of Neymar, but also the movements of Mbappé. To suddenly accelerate, that’s something that Mbappé also has. And he’s only 22 years old. There’s really a lot of potential in this boy.”