Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that Newcastle United are leading the race to sign Reims striker Hugo Ekitike in the summer.
Ekitike is a 19-year-old forward that has impressed this season in Ligue 1 before he picked up an injury that has seen him out of action since February. Before his injury, he scored nine goals and chipped in with three assists in 21 league games.
After the young forward has somewhat burst on the scene this campaign, it has caught the interest of Newcastle, and according to Sky Sports, Eddie Howe had a bid accepted for him in January, but Ekitike opted to remain in France.
Despite the recent injury troubles that the 19-year-old has suffered, Jones reported to GiveMeSport that Newcastle are still likely to be leading the race to sign him in the summer transfer window.
He said: “Newcastle are still very keen on signing him. So, I still think that they are probably leading the race to sign him.”
TIF Thoughts on Dean Jones’ comments…
Newcastle had a bid potentially rising to £33m for Ekitike accepted by Reims in January after he seriously impressed in the first half of the campaign. In Ligue 1, he has scored a goal on average every 128 minutes, while in December alone, he had three goals and got one assist in four games, and he is still just 19. Indeed, Reims boss Oscar Garcia even called him a ‘very special’ player and has been tipped for a big future.
It is apparent that Reims are being careful with his development, as he has started just 14 times this season in the league, but if he was to move away from the club in the summer for a big fee, you would expect him to be a starter.
If Ekitike was to carry on his impressive goal scoring form for the remainder of the season when he returns from injury, it could be that other clubs across Europe will start to show improved interest, and if the option of European football is elsewhere, that could threaten Newcastle’s chances of landing the teenager. But for now, it appears they are in pole position.
David Ginola was even happy to help sign him back in the January transfer window as he responded to a Newcastle fan who begged him for his support.