Newcastle United could finally sign Hugo Ekitike - the striker who has evaded them in previous transfer windows
Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike
Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike has been linked with a summer move to Newcastle United
(Image: Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
If at first you don't succeed, try and try again is perhaps the mantra Newcastle United are applying as it is reported they are working on a deal to sign striker Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Multiple sources in both England and Germany are beginning to suggest the Newcastle are advancing towards a target who has escaped them in previous attempts they have tried to sign him. This follows the £55m capture of winger Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest, with Eddie Howe intent on getting attacking reinforcements through the door.
Transfer activity, therefore, appears to have hastened on Tyneside this July, so Chronicle Live is taking a look at what comes next and the potential outcome of this unfolding new chapter in the Ekitike saga.
Ekitike to Newcastle latest
Over the past weekend it was claimed first by The Telegraph that Newcastle had reignited their interest in Ekitike, who is now playing in Germany for Frankfurt. There were failed attempts to bring the French striker to St. James' Park in previous transfer windows, and it appears Newcastle are making their strongest move yet for the player.
Multiple sources have now made advances on this information in varying capacities.
Julien Laurens for ESPN says agent Ali Barat is on Tyneside to finalise the striker's move. Meanwhile Ben Jacobs and talkSPORT's Alex Crook claim it is Newcastle chiefs who are in Germany to undergo talks for the deal.
Sky Sports Germany's Florian Plettenberg says Newcastle have 'opened concrete talks with the camp of Hugo Ekitike and are trying to reach a verbal agreement'.
For The Athletic, David Ornstein reports an agreement with Frankfurt is not yet close but Newcastle are working towards a €75m (£67m) deal, which is significantly lower than the 22-year-old's €100m (£86m) release clause.
Fabrizio Romano reports an official bid has been placed, one higher than the €70m (£60m) sum Frankfurt previously turned down from another unnamed club.
Newcastle stance
Chronicle Livehas been told by sources in Germany that Newcastle officials flew out to Germany last week to see what a possible deal might look like. Head of recruitment Steve Nickson has been taking the lead on transfers following the departure of sporting director Paul Mitchell.
Newcastle are currently preparing for the upcoming season at a training camp in the Austrian Alps, where no media have been permitted access. They could try to step things up in the next few days whilst shut off from the world but they have generally kept a dignified silence on the possibility of what would be a huge deal.
What is Ekitike's history with Newcastle?
Ekitike and his camp's ties to Newcastle began in 2022, when in both the January and summer transfer windows they tried to sign him from his former club SC Reims.
As time and effort was put into the signing, he then chose Paris St-Germain and a €28m transfer went through. The right-footed forward then ended up failing to make an impact in the French capital before a loan and eventually a permanent €16.5m move to Frankfurt resurrected his career.
"I was arriving in [Lionel] 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," Ekitike, later speaking to L'Equipe, reflected upon his troubled time at PSG.
"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."
Where is Ekitike in all of this?
Ekitike, as evidenced by his own social media activity and that of his current club's, returned as planned for pre-season training when Dino Toppmoller's side met up last week. At the moment he is in line to return for the club he scored 22 goals for last campaign.
Can Newcastle afford to buy Ekitike?
There remains caution around St. James' Park given PSR restrictions behind the scenes and the huge sum that it would now take to sign Ekitike. As Chronicle Live reported on Sunday, the stance from Toon chiefs is that players could have to be sold in order to help raise funds for the star who has an £86m release clause. It has to be added personal terms would also have to be agreed with the forward's agent.
However, these latest reports would suggest the Magpies are negotiating at a price around £20m lower than the release clause involved. Such a key detail may have a huge impact in the feasibility of this deal.
Meanwhile, it is also thought that Newcastle will not be selling Alexander Isak to fund a move for Ekitike. Whether there is another high profile departure, though, remains to be seen but the Sweden international is very much integral to this club's plan and signing another talented striker would be a major display of ambition returning to the Champions League this season.