Hugo Ekitike has starred for Eintracht Frankfurt this seasonHugo Ekitike has starred for Eintracht Frankfurt this season
Hugo Ekitike has starred for Eintracht Frankfurt this season | UEFA via Getty Images
Hugo Ekitike has shone for Eintracht Frankfurt this season - with another big-money transfer on the cards for the Frenchman this summer.
Ekitike has notched 19 goals and eight assists in just 38 games in all competitions for Eintracht Frankfurt this season as he enjoys a real breakthrough season in Germany. For Ekitike, this kind of goalscoring season has been a long time coming and one that Newcastle United had been early to spot.
The 22-year-old had previously shone at Stade Reims and enjoyed a very prolific half a season during the 2021/22 campaign - one that had the Magpies interested. Back then, the 19-year-old opted instead to stay in France, rejecting a January 2022 deadline day move to Tyneside.
Despite that initial rejection, Newcastle were undeterred in landing his signature and again made a move for him the following summer. However, by that time, Ekitike had had his head turned by PSG and opted instead to move to the Parc des Princes.
Ekitike failed to settle in the French capital though and was shipped out on loan to Eintracht last January before his move was made permanent this summer. Fortunately for the striker, he has been able to find his goalscoring boots - and he could be at the centre of yet another transfer saga when this summer’s window opens.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Ekitike is ‘expected to leave’ Frankfurt this summer with Premier League clubs lining up for his signature. Whilst Newcastle United have not been named specifically as one of those clubs, they would be mad to not at least be monitoring Ekitike’s transfer situation.
In Alexander Isak, the man Newcastle signed after missing out on the Frenchman back in 2022, the Magpies have one of the best centre-forwards in the world, but Callum Wilson’s injury record and contract uncertainty means a deputy is a must in order to ensure Isak is not run into the ground. Ekitike could, should and must be the man they look towards to fill that gap.
Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak transfer stance
Newcastle United will do all in their power to resist bids for Isak this summer and have reportedly placed a £150m price tag on the striker. That price tag will likely prohibit all-but two or three clubs in world football from making a bid for him and whilst Arsenal and Liverpool may be interested, a fee that high would represent their highest ever spend on a player and one they are unlikely to spend this summer without significant sales.
Moreover, Yasir Al-Rumayyan has reportedly instructed the Magpies to not even entertain offers for the 25-year-old as they look to build with, rather than without, their talisman. Isak himself has recently been asked about his future at St James’ Park and reiterated his desire to remain on Tyneside: Speaking to Swedish outlet Fotbollskanalen, Isak said: “There's not much to say, really.
“I've commented on my situation and my security in Newcastle several times. It's been written how much I love the city and the club, how well I feel there.
“I'm not thinking about the future. I just want to perform for Newcastle.
“Now we won the cup, but we want to finish strong and reach the Champions League. That's where my focus lies.”
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