Eintracht Frankfurt have made it clear they do not need to sell Hugo Ekitike amid reported interest from Liverpool and Chelsea.
Ekitike is in demand after a superb season with Eintracht in which the striker scored 22 goals and provided 12 assists.
The former Paris Saint-Germain forward is reportedly valued at €100million (£84m) by Eintracht.
And, after qualifying for the Champions League with a third-placed finish in the Bundesliga, Eintracht CEO Markus Krosche was blunt when asked about talks over a potential sale of Ekitike.
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Krosche told Wiesbadener Kurier: “If the price isn’t right, then he’ll just stay with us; we don’t have to sell Hugo.”
Ekitike is under contract at Eintracht until June 2029 having joined from PSG last July.
Liverpool are reportedly likely to allow Darwin Nunez to leave the club in the transfer window, potentially creating a void in attack that Ekitike could fill.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have already signed one striker in the form of Liam Delap, who joined for £30m from Ipswich Town.
However, that deal is unlikely to preclude the Blues from pushing to sign Ekitike, with a lack of depth up front behind Nicolas Jackson apparent even in a campaign that saw them finish fourth in the Premier League and win the Conference League.
