Chelsea have registered their interest in Stade de Reims forward Hugo Ekitike, according to Footmercato.net.
The French website report that the Blues are keen on signing the teenager and they have made the first move to get a deal in place for the summer.
Ekitike has had a breakthrough season at Reims, having scored eight goals in 17 Ligue One appearances. His performances have not just been noticed by Chelsea, though, with Newcastle having also been linked with the player in recent weeks.
With interest growing in the 19-year-old, Reims will not be letting him leave on the cheap, with it being claimed that he has an asking price of €40m (£33.4m).
While Ekitike is only just starting to make a name for himself, he does have big ambitions, recently revealing in an interview that he is keen to walk in the footsteps of Kylian Mbappe:
“He is truly a magnificent player, who knows how to do everything. People don’t realize how awesome he is. For me, that’s being a top player and that’s what I aspire to be.”
If he possesses half of the talent of the PSG star then Chelsea are wise to be weighing up a bid for the striker.
