The Magpies like the Frenchman but also have other irons in the fire with Eddie Howe weighing up all the options
Hugo Ekitike of Eintracht Frankfurt
Hugo Ekitike of Eintracht Frankfurt
Newcastle United chiefs are remaining calm in the transfer window after being linked with Hugo Ekitike.
United will have to break their transfer record to land the Eintracht Frankfurt striker, with the club protected by a huge £86m release clause. The Frenchman has been admired by the Magpies for the last three years and turned down a move to Newcastle at the start of the takeover.
For now, Ekitike remains a player on the list but there is also a sense of realism with any expensive purchase highly likely to result in a case exit. The striker will not be interested in coming to Newcastle to play second fiddle to Alexander Isak either.
And there is history between Newcastle and the centre-forward's agent the Ekitike camp chose Paris St-Germain back in 2023 when a €28m transfer went through. The right-footed player then ended up failing to make an impact with PSG before a loan to Frankfurt turned into a permanent deal in 2024 as he was eventually sold for €16.5m.
Despite having an outstanding season, scoring 22 times, and helping Frankfurt finish third in the table, the £86m demand from the German club is deemed steep by Newcastle chiefs.
And there are other irons in the fire although the club's main investors PIF have always been committed to a big deal, as the Anthony Elanga transfer proved, if it is felt that the player can help the club achieve their aims.
Head coach Eddie Howe's words rung true when completing the Elanga deal when he spoke about the right winger fitting into the team's style. He said ahead of the weekend: "He is an exciting talent with attributes that make him a unique attacking threat. His pace, energy and ability to create and score goals will strengthen us and complement the way we want to play."
For all that Frankfurt will be open to selling the 23-year-old if the right bid comes along. The German club's CEO Markus Krösche said in May: "He’s one of the most interesting strikers on the European market. Hugo has to decide that [ed. His future]. I’m glad we have him. If he decides otherwise, that’s our credo. If a player develops faster than us, we let him go."
Newcastle have been quietly working away on a deal for James Trafford while Howe weighs up his other options in attack and defence. They like Ekitike, but if the deal does not represent true value, Newcastle has other options.
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