Newcastle United’s interest in Hugo Ekitike has sparked fresh suggestions that Alexander Isak could leave St James’ Park.
It has been reported that Newcastle United want to sign Ekitike this summer, with the Magpies potentially looking to break their transfer record to bring the Frenchman to Tyneside.
While Newcastle signing Elanga was exciting, landing Ekitike would be an even bigger statement of intent.
Newcastle want Ekitike to play alongside Isak, as Eddie Howe attempts to pair up two of Europe’s most exciting forwards. It is highly ambitious, while fans of rival clubs have speculated that a deal for Ekitike could be the catalyst for Alexander Isak to leave.
Alexander Isak runs with the ball during Newcastle United vs Everton.
Photo by Scott Llewellyn | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
What Newcastle United plan to do if they ever sell Alexander Isak
Liverpool want to sign Isak, but Newcastle United have no plans to sell him. And even if the time does eventually come for the 25-year-old to depart, it will not be to a club like Liverpool.
It was reported by the Telegraph in May that Newcastle United already have a plan for when they sell Isak. They reported that the Magpies intend to move the Sweden international on to a club outside of the Premier League.
The Magpies have no intention of strengthening a direct rival by letting them have Isak. While Liverpool fans might think that Ekitike heading to Newcastle strengthens their pursuit of Isak, it does not really change the situation.
In a perfect world, Newcastle United keep Isak for many years to come. However, that might not be possible. He is a world class player who will have ambitions of winning league titles, which may or may not be possible on Tyneside.
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But if the day for him to leave does arrive, Newcastle’s plan is for him to join a foreign club like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain, rather than a Premier League rival like Liverpool.
Newcastle United signing Hugo Ekitike would force Eddie Howe to change his system
With Newcastle trying to sign Ekitike to play alongside Isak, it would appear that Howe is pondering a tactical change. After all, you are not going to potentially spend £85million on a player to sit on the bench.
While Ekitike can play out wide, he is at his best through the middle. Therefore, Howe could potentially shift to a 4-4-2 shape or a 4-2-3-1 system. That would see Isak and Ekitike pair up, while Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga would likely be out wide.
If that is what Howe intends to do, the one player who could miss out is Joelinton. It would see Howe move away from his midfield three, and there is simply no way that Sandro Tonali or Bruno Guimaraes are going to be benched.
A deal would give Newcastle United the depth they are craving, while it could spark a major change to the way that Howe’s side play.