This week, Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe finally signed a new right-sided forward after several transfer windows of fruitless efforts.
Anthony Elanga's much-covered £55m switch from Nottingham Forest to Tyneside has provided Newcastle with genuine quality and athleticism to challenge in the Premier League and abroad, Champions League-bound as they are.
But there are still gaps in the Magpies squad which demand attention. Namely, Howe has been searching for a striker to challenge and complement Alexander Isak.
Alexander Isak 2024-25 season in numbers (timeless)
A range of names have been mooted, but there's one man above all else who would send shockwaves through English football and beyond, should he wind up on Tyneside this summer.
The latest on Newcastle's search for a striker
Newcastle have been knocked back once or twice this summer, but then Howe has instilled a winning mentality and a togetherness at St. James' Park, which allows the club to bounce back from adversity.
Brighton's Joao Pedro was the top target to add some depth and dynamism up front, but he's signed for Chelsea in a deal worth £60m.
Joao-Pedro-Newcastle
The likes of Brentford's Yoane Wissa, valued at £50m, have since been touted as an alternative, but Newcastle appear to have their eyes on a bigger prize.
And now, the Telegraph have corroborated news from Fabrizio Romano that Newcastle are targeting Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike, in spite of the French forward's £86m release clause.
Hugo Ekitike 2024-25 season in numbers (timeless)
Newcastle are looking to beat Liverpool to Ekitike's signature, with the 23-year-old having previously been on the radar in 2022, when a £33m deal was agreed with Reims before Paris Saint-Germain hijacked the transfer.
The Telegraph reveal that Newcastle have already held talks with the player’s reps, making them aware of their desire to sign him and now hope they can agree a fee with the Bundesliga club.
Why Newcastle want Hugo Ekitike
You might think that Newcastle's interest in Ekitike speaks of the looming sale of Isak, but this isn't the case. United need another high-level goalscorer, and this would be a significant statement of intent.
Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike-1
Ekitike, while young, proved his worth in Germany last season, scoring 22 goals and supplying 12 assists across all competitions. His complete attacking performances and high-speed running even led journalist Graeme Bailey to describe him as "the next Mbappe", a comparison unlikely to be lost on this ambitious Toon side.
He has the physicality and sharpness to succeed in the Premier League, no doubt, especially when considering he would be playing with wide men like Anthony Gordon and new recruit Elanga.
Bundesliga Stats 24/25 - Hugo Ekitike
Stats (* per game)
Matches (starts)
Goals
Assists
Shots (on target)*
Big chances missed
Pass completion
Big chances created
Key passes*
Dribbles*
Duels won*
Stats via Sofascore
Across his two campaigns with Forest, Elanga, 23, has racked up 20 assists in the Premier League, very much the "electric" presence, as he has been described by Statman Dave, needed to add a new dimension to Howe's project.
Elanga's pace and focus on creativity could play to Ekitike's strengths. The Frankfurt star might be multi-faceted, with eye-catching link-up and athletic qualities, but at his core he's a goalscorer, having ranked among the top 7% of centre-forwards across Europe's top five leagues last season for shots taken (3.74) per 90, as per FBref.
And, in turn, Ekitike's natural bent for playmaking and team fluency will allow Elanga to approach his craft with more versatility, using overlapping runs to find space to shoot on goal himself, for example.
Ultimately, Ekitike's will be a signing that proves incredibly difficult to pull off, but if Newcastle manage to beat off the competition and bring him over, there's every chance that he, Elanga and the rest will lead the club toward new-found heights, beyond even the elation of the 2024/25 campaign.
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Newcastle have been offered the chance to sign a former Premier League star this summer