‘Contacts never stopped’: President says Newcastle have constantly been asking him about ‘very special’ star

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Newcastle United had a hugely successful January transfer window, but the one signing they couldn’t pull off was Hugo Ekitike from Stade Reims.

Eddie Howe really wanted to bring in two new strikers. Chris Wood was signed from Burnley, and the Magpies really did push to complete a deal for Ekitike, who has been branded as ‘very special’ by Oscar Garcia.

Reims demanded £33 million to let their young striker leave in the January transfer window and after days of negotiations, Newcastle finally agreed to match that fee on deadline day. Just when it looked like a deal would get over the line, Ekitike turned it down and decided to stay put.

Newcastle were disappointed then, but it looks like the rejection hasn’t put them off.

President says Newcastle have been in constant contact with Reims about Hugo Ekitike

Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot told L’Union Ardennes about Newcastle’s interest in Ekitike: “They’re an ambitious club, who want to build on the long-term and who manifested their interest this winter.

“Since then, contacts never stopped.

“It’s typically the type of environment where he (Ekitike) could continue to grow and go to the next level.”

Asked about the fee that he’ll accept, Caillot said: “It will need to be over €20 million (£17m). Beyond that, there is a need to be reasonable.”

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It really is a no brainer now for Newcastle, isn’t it?

The Magpies were ready to pay £33 million to sign him in January. Now, just a few months later, that price has almost halved, which makes the deal all the easier to complete this summer.

Ekitike has become a star in France. Still only 19, the youngster scored 11 goals and provided four assists in just 16 starts last term. That’s an extraordinary record for someone so young.

After a phenomenal end to the season, every Newcastle fan is excited about what’s in store for the upcoming summer transfer window. Signing Ekitike would be a fantastic way to start things off.