Newcastle have stepped up their interest in long-term striker target Hugo Ekitike.
The Tyneside club have held meetings in Germany over the past week with Eintracht Frankfurt for the France U21 international.
_Sky in Germany_ are reporting that further meetings with Ekitike's representatives have taken place in Austria, where Newcastle have travelled for a pre-season training camp.
Talks centre on what would be a club-record offer for the 23-year-old, with the Bundesliga side valuing the striker at £86m.
Alexander Isak is Newcastle's current club record after he joined in a £63m deal from Real Sociedad in August 2022.
Newcastle tried and failed to sign Ekitike in 2022, as he moved to Paris Saint-Germain from Reims instead.
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