Newcastle United have tried to sign the Frenchman three times, including earlier this summer.
Newcastle United will come up against one of their long-term striker targets at St James’ Park this evening.
For all the noise surrounding Alexander Isak, it’s perhaps easy to forget that Liverpool have already robbed the Magpies of a striker this summer.
Newcastle were in talks to sign Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt last month and even tabled a £69million club-record bid. But that prompted Liverpool to join the race and the rest, as they say, is history. And history with Ekitike goes further back than just this summer.
Newcastle United’s longstanding interest in Hugo Ekitike
United had bids accepted by Stade de Reims for Ekitike in January 2022 and the following summer but the Frenchman rejected a move both time before joining Paris Saint-Germain.
But after just one season, Ekitike was banished by manager Luis Enrique and he subsequently missed both Champions League matches against Newcastle. That led to him joining Frankfurt on loan in January 2024.
And it was Germany where the 23-year-old began to fulfil his promise and after scoring 22 goals last season, re-emerged as one of Europe’s most exciting young strikers. Newcastle were the first club to make a move and were confident of making it third time lucky until Liverpool swooped in for a total transfer worth £79m.
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While the Reds are delighted to have Ekitike on board, it has arguably prevented them from securing a deal for Isak, with the Magpies refusing to sanction the Swede’s exit having failed to sign a replacement.
Isak is currently on a strike in an attempt to force through a move to Anfield and won’t be involved in this evening’s clash. Ekitike, however, will lead the Liverpool attack.
Eddie Howe confirms Newcastle United interest in Hugo Ekitike
Addressing Newcastle’s long interest in Ekitike, Howe said: “I think there's no doubting that I really like Hugo and have done for a number of years. He's someone that we've tracked for a long time. He's got really good qualities and I think he showed that in his first Premier League game. A very good debut against Bournemouth.
“He's got really good movement. He's intelligent. He's good in the air. He scores goals. Very good finisher. Scores off both feet. So, I think he's got a load of qualities that will serve him really well in the Premier League.
“Our job will be to keep him quiet and to try and control him. But certainly, he's going to be a threat this year.”
Alexander Isak increasingly likely to stay at Newcastle United
Newcastle are pushing to sign a striker before the transfer window closes on September 1, but any new recruit will be regarded as a replacement for Callum Wilson.
Signing two strikers would free up Isak to leave, but as Newcastle wrote in a club statement last Tuesday, they do not foresee the conditions of a sale being met.
Isak, in a statement of his own, wrote “when promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can’t continue” but Howe is not giving up hope of reintegrating the player.
Howe said: “My wish is that he would be playing on Monday night with us, but he won't be, and that's regrettable at this moment. But he, 100 per cent, I want to see him back in the Newcastle shirt.”
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