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Hugo Ekitike says he would’ve joined Newcastle if PSG didn’t want him
Hugo Ekitike has revealed that he would’ve joined Newcastle United this summer if Paris Saint-Germain hadn’t made an offer to sign him.
The young Frenchman was a key target for the Magpies for a long, long time. Eddie Howe first wanted to sign him in the January transfer window, but the player turned them down after everything was agreed between the clubs.
Newcastle didn’t give up then. They monitored him throughout the second half of last season and tried to sign him again this summer. However, Toon fans were left with a sense of dé·jà vu as Newcastle reached an agreement with Reims, but once again, they couldn’t convince Ekitike to join them.
Howe’s hopes ended after French champions PSG signed him two weeks ago for an initial fee in the region of £24 million. ()
Hugo Ekitike says he would’ve joined Newcastle if PSG didn’t want him
Ekitike was a star for Reims last season. He burst onto the scene and scored 11 goals and provided four assists in just 16 starts. That is an ‘amazing‘ return for someone who was just 19 then.
It is no surprise that Newcastle were so keen to sign Ekitike, and the Frenchman even claims he would’ve joined them. However, once PSG’s offer came to him, he wasn’t going anywhere else.
Ekitike told : I’m not setting aside everything Newcastle did for me to come. If I had to go abroad, I would have gone there.
“But, when PSG wants you and you’re French, you can’t refuse. All those who positioned themselves were big clubs.”
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It really is a shame that Newcastle missed out on Ekitike, but the Magpies have no time to sulk. They should’ve brought in a new striker by now, but it looks like they’ll start the new season without any new names up top.
Callum Wilson and Chris Wood are really good at what they do, but if Newcastle want to go to the next level, they have to bring in someone a lot more prolific than their two strikers.
There’s still over a month left in the transfer window, and Newcastle could yet bring in a top-quality striker. They have been linked with quite a few names already, and it will be interesting to see if they can get a deal over the line.
Newcastle take on Athletic Bilbao in their final pre-season game this afternoon.
