Newcastle United tried to sign Hugo Ekitike twice before he joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2022.
Newcastle United must reportedly stump up a staggering £77million to sign Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike.
It is understood that the Magpies are tempted to make a third approach for the Frenchman. Toon chiefs infamously failed to get Ekitike over the line twice in 2022, shortly after the Saudi-backed takeover.
He snubbed Newcastle on both occasions to join Paris Saint-Germain, leaving a bitter taste in the mouth for supporters. A deal worth around £25million had been agreed with Reims but Ekitike rejected the proposal.
Hugo Ekitike struggles and revival
Ekitike struggled to make an impact at PSG as Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe inevitably took centre stage. A fallout with Luis Enrique saw the youngster frozen out before he found an escape route at Frankfurt.
Initially signed on loan, Ekitike made the switch permanent 12 months ago and he repaid that faith with 22 goals across all competitions. An impressive campaign has led to the now 23-year-old being linked to Liverpool.
Newcastle United interest
However, Newcastle are thought to be keeping tabs on his situation hoping for third time lucky. The Magpies are a striker short after Callum Wilson rejected a contract extension.
Will Osula, as it stands, is the only first-team backup behind undisputed first-choice Alexander Isak. If Ekitike signed for Newcastle, debate would rage about where he might play.
It is unlikely that the Magpies would stump up a club-record fee to sign someone who does not get into the starting line-up. A possible formation change could be on the cards, with Eddie Howe favouring a 4-4-2 system during his time at Bournemouth.
TalkSPORT claim Newcastle would need to pay €90million - or £77million - for the Frankfurt man. For context, Isak cost £63million from Real Sociedad in August 2022.
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Hugo Ekitike on PSG failure
Ekitike reflected on a turbulent two years in the French capital when speaking to the press last season. He told L'Equipe: "I was arriving in Messi and Neymar's last year. "Go and get them out? You can't. They have to play, they're the best players in the world.
"You're behind, you're trying to save time. Two minutes, 15 minutes, two matches on the bench then 60 minutes… there's no lying in football. Only continuity makes you a player who can count.
"I'm never going to say that I did everything well. I could have done better - that's the truth - but they (PSG) didn't help me do better. They didn't give me confidence. Even during training, even through discussions, they never really took the time to talk to me to be able to help me. I found myself in a situation where I was forced to get by.
"Even in a match, I had to think about how I moved so as not to hinder any player so that the team could function. All that, mixed with a confidence that wasn't at its maximum, with a different football… That's a lot of information that meant it didn't work, but I learned a lot."
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