Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca will be satisfied with his striker options right now, with both Joao Pedro and Liam Delap making an impact at the Club World Cup.
Pedro scored three goals, including in the final against Paris Saint-Germain, while Delap managed to net once and register an assist.
Nicolas Jackson is attracting interest from other clubs, but the 24-year-old is also another good option for Maresca while he remains at Chelsea.
Ultimately, the Blues are not in need of another centre-forward, especially after signing Pedro.
- READ MORE: Joao Pedro explains why he already has fantastic relationship with Cole Palmer at Chelsea
Chelsea don’t need Hugo Ekitike after signing Joao Pedro
Before Chelsea brought in Pedro from Brighton & Hove Albion, they were being heavily linked with Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike.
Last month, it was claimed that Chelsea held positive talks over signing Ekitike. However, his price tag and Pedro’s arrival seem to have resulted in the club cooling their interest in him.
The 23-year-old could now move to Premier League rivals Newcastle United instead in a potential deal worth more than €80m (£69.4m).
It is being reported that the Magpies have just had an offer of that amount turned down, meaning that they will have to return to the table with a bigger bid. Previously, it was claimed that Frankfurt wanted €100m (£86.8m) for Ekitike.
Ekitike is an exciting young forward with a lot of potential, but he is not someone whom Chelsea need to worry about now that they have Pedro.
The Brazilian looked like the real deal at the Club World Cup and is now in line to be Enzo Maresca‘s first-choice No.9 next season.
How Joao Pedro and Hugo Ekitike compare
Ekitike scored more league goals than Pedro last season, but the Frenchman played more minutes. His xG difference was also significantly worse than Pedro’s.
| Player | Appearances | Starts | Minutes | Goals | xG | xG difference |
| Joao Pedro | 27 | 23 | 1,955 | 10 | 10.26 | -0.26 |
| Hugo Ekitike | 33 | 31 | 2,582 | 15 | 22.55 | -7.55 |
Ultimately, Pedro was the more clinical of the two last season despite scoring fewer goals, but that may not surprise Chelsea supporters after watching him at the Club World Cup.
The two goals the Brazil international scored against Fluminense in the semi-finals, for example, were extremely difficult chances. Yet he still managed to convert them.
Ekitike is also likely to be sold for more money than Pedro, so Chelsea really can be pleased with the business that they were able to do with Brighton. At present, Pedro is probably closer to being the finished article.
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