Newcastle United are reportedly now in the driving seat to sign Hugo Ekitike in the summer.
The Lowdown: January failure
A £33m deal for Ekitike to move to St. James’ Park fell through on deadline day in the January transfer window, and so the North East club signed Chris Wood from Burnley instead.
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However, with Callum Wilson’s injury problems this season, they may now look to sign another striker this summer in order to cover for his seemingly ongoing issues – the former Bournemouth star has missed 30 games in a Newcastle shirt with various muscle injuries.
The Latest: Newcastle in pole
As per Football Insider, a source from the Tyneside outfit has revealed that Eddie Howe has now made Ekitike a ‘top target’, and he is now valued at just £25m by French club Reims – less than the deal which reportedly fell through in the winter window.
The Magpies believe that they are now in the ‘driving seat’ for his signature, because of their long-standing interest and ambitious project.
The Verdict: Exciting
The fact that the Toon seem to be in pole position to land Ekitike is certainly exciting for the fans.
Reims manager Oscar Garcia dubbed him a ‘very special‘ player earlier this season, while many in France believe that he could even be the ‘next Mbappe‘.
Like the now PSG superstar, Ekitike burst into the scene in French football as a teenager, with the 19-year-old scoring nine goals and making a further two assists in Ligue 1 so far (WhoScored), and given that he is now available at £25m, he could turn out to be a real bargain.
In other news, find out who will now miss Wolves alongside Joe Willock here!