According to reports from Fabrizio Romano, Newcastle United are willing to compete with Premier League champions Liverpool to sign striker Hugo Ekitike from German side Eintracht Frankfurt for a club record transfer fee.
The 23-year-old has attracted interest from Tyneside after having his best goalscoring season to date, including notching 15 goals and collecting eight assists in the Bundesliga last season, and should the deal be completed then he will be expected to provide cover and competition for Alexander Isak at the focal point of Newcastle’s attack.
Who is Ekitike?
Hugo Ekitike is a French striker who came through the youth academy at his hometown club Stade Reims.
He enjoyed a breakout season in the 2021/22 campaign with the club, including scoring 10 Ligue 1 goals across 24 appearances, which attracted the attention of French giants PSG, who purchased the then 20-year-old for approximately €30 million.
However, Ekitike did not shine as he was initially expected to, and after a disappointing spell where he only scored four goals in all competitions, the forward was sent on loan to Eintracht Frankfurt in January 2024.
This move saw him return to form, and four goals across the second half of the season was sufficient to convince Die Adler to invest €16 million to sign him permanently.
That decision was quickly justified, as Ekitike repaid their faith by scoring 22 goals and gathering 12 assists across all competitions, firing Frankfurt to a third place finish in the Bundesliga and securing a return to the Champions League after a one season absence.
What would Ekitike bring to Newcastle?
Ekitike is a striker who will add goals and attacking flair to Newcastle’s already formidable front-line.
Indeed, the Frenchman scored the joint 6th most goals in the league last season, and if he can transfer his goalscoring over into the Premier League, then he will be a valuable asset in attacking for Eddie Howe’s side.
Further, according to data from Opta, Ekitike had the second highest xG of any Bundesliga striker with 21.7, whilst he also took the most shots and had the most touches in the opposition box of any player in the division.
Whilst underperforming his xG does imply that Ekitike produced some poor finishing over the course of the season, his ability to get into goal scoring positions and his willingness to take shots will eventually lead to him scoring more goals as well as exciting the Newcastle faithful.
Beyond his goalscoring, Ekitike also excels when considering passing and other possession based metrics.
Ekitike’s eight assists across the season ranked him eighth across all Bundesliga players and third out of strikers, whilst he created the second most chances of any Bundesliga striker and his pass accuracy (76.4 per cent), cross accuracy (47.1 per cent) and success rate of long balls (72.2 per cent) all ranked him in the top quartile from Bundesliga strikers.
This data shows he has strong playmaking credentials, which when paired with his goalscoring prowess means that he is poised to be a crucial asset to Newcastle United.
How could he fit into Eddie Howe’s system?
With Newcastle already boasting a plethora of attacking options including Anthony Gordon, Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy, Alexander Isak and fellow new signing Anthony Elanga, many may see Ekitike’s potential signing as unnecessary given the talent at Eddie Howe’s disposal.
However, with Newcastle having to contend with extra games due to their participation in the Champions League, Ekitike will provide valuable depth to the Magpies’ attack, allowing them to handle the extra fixture congestion and compete on multiple fronts.
Further, during his spell at Frankfurt, Ekitike demonstrated his versatility by thriving up front alongside Omar Marmoush in the first half of the season, before leading the line alone after the Egyptian departed for Manchester City in January.
This ability to play and score in multiple tactical systems will likely prove to be vital, as the Magpies will have the flexibility they need to be able to contend with the miscellaneous injuries and absences that they will inevitably endure over the course of the season.
With the long awaited signing yet to be confirmed, Newcastle United supporters will be eagerly awaiting an official announcement from the club.
Should the deal be completed, the forward could be poised to make his debut in their preseason friendly clash against Celtic on Saturday 19th July.
His first competitive minutes may come on the opening day of the Premier League season, when Newcastle travel to Villa Park to face Aston Villa, whilst his home debut may arrive on 25th August as Newcastle host defending champions Liverpool.