Newcastle United have seen one bid wroth £69million rejected for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike.
Newcastle United are reportedly some way off from meeting Eintracht Frankfurt’s valuation for Hugo Ekitike.
Toon fans could be forgiven for thinking they have stepped back in time to 2022 as the Magpies tackle another transfer saga involving the French striker. Ekitkke - then a raw 20-year-old - snubbed Newcastle twice when the Saudi-backed era was in its infancy.
Fast forward to the present and the St James’ Park hierarchy believe they are in a stronger position to land the Frankfurt forward. Champions League football, Carabao Cup success and the development of several stars has raised Newcastle’s profile in recent years.
Hugo Ekitike saga Mk III
NewcastleWorld understands an offer worth around €80million - or £69million - was rejected yesterday. This was an opening bid after talks were held in Germany and Austria, where Eddie Howe’s men have been enjoying pre-season training.
Liverpool are also interested in Ekitike and Newcastle’s approach has taken them by surprise. Arne Slot is keen to add a striker to his ranks, with the misfiring Darwin Nunez likely to leave this summer.
Toon social media circles went into meltdown when news emerged that the Reds made an informal enquiry regarding Isak. However, it is understood that the Magpies - as has been the case all summer - insist the Swede will not be sold.
A game of transfer poker is set to unfold over Ekitike - who Newcastle view as the perfect option to support Isak in attack. They are wary that Liverpool possess greater pull and have greater financial muscle at their disposal due to PSR parameters.
Hugo Ekitke’s huge price tag
With one bid rejected, that begs the question of how much Newcastle must pay to land their man. Frankfurt are known to drive a hard bargain, with Manchester City stumping up £65million for Omar Marmoush in January.
Sky Sports Germany claim €100million - his release clause - remains their valuation. That equates to £85million and would obliterate the club-record £63million paid for Isak three years ago.
Newcastle’s coffers are set to be boosted by Sean Longstaff’s sale in the coming days. The North Shields native will join Leeds United for around £15million and, as an academy product, that income will register as pure profit on the PSR balance sheet.
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Hugo Ekitike on PSG failure
Ekitike reflected on his failure at Paris Saint-Germain 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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