Newcastle United's hunt for a new striker goes on after Joao Pedro bombshell
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Hugo Ekitike of Eintracht Frankfurt
Hugo Ekitike of Eintracht Frankfurt(Image: Getty Images)
Newcastle United's hunt for a new striker continues to be a work in progress as Paul Mitchell seeks a breakthrough before the end of the month.
Mitchell will leave his post as sporting director on June 30, less than a year after taking up the position, having succeeded Dan Ashworth who left for Manchester United.
It's been a difficult period on the transfer front for Mitchell with no first-team capture last summer or in the January transfer window. Newcastle failed in their quest to sign Marc Guehi and Anthony Elanga last year and were forced to sell Miguel Almiron and Lloyd Kelly in the winter.
Mitchell has brought in a number of youngsters, notably Antonio Cordero, but a ready-made senior star is what fans - and Eddie Howe - are craving.
In a recent survey, Newcastle supporters identified striker as the position they felt Newcastle should prioritise this summer. With that in mind, we asked which player from the various forwards linked with the club would they most like to sign.
Almost 4,000 votes were cast and fans were split between two strikers - Canada star Jonathan David and Brighton's versatile attacker Joao Pedro both receiving 35 per cent of the vote.
Striker poll results
Howe is a big fan of Pedro, having tried to sign the Brazilian before, but the Seagulls star now has a price tag of around £60million. He remains United's top target, however, even despite him apparently preferring a move to a London club.
Howe sees him as someone who could offer depth across the frontline, given his ability to play in a variety of positions.
David, meanwhile, is a free agent after leaving Lille when his contract expired at the end of the season. The highly-rated Canadian has been among the top scorers in Ligue 1 for the last five seasons and helped his club into the Champions League.
Given his goalscoring ability, experience - despite still just being 25 - and availability for free, he has become one of the most highly sought-after players this window, with Napoli, Juventus and Barcelona linked with the striker.
Elsewhere, Hugo Ekitike got 12 per cent of the vote. The Frenchman is someone well known to Newcastle scouting team after he almost joined the Magpies three years ago, before opting for Paris St Germain instead.
There is a lot of speculation around the youngster again this summer, with Liverpool and Man United linked with moves for him, although his German side Eintracht Frankfurt are believed to want around £80m for him.
Newcastle fans didn't really favour any other strikers, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Fulham frontman Rodrigo Muniz both mustering four per cent.
Take part in our poll below and add your voice to who you think Newcastle should sign this summer.