Newcastle ‘majorly against’ signing 21-year-old now, they want £15m player instead

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Newcastle United have been heavily linked with Hugo Ekitike ahead of the January transfer window.

However, a fresh report from TEAMtalk claims the Magpies have cooled their interest in the 21-year-old and are looking at a different attacking target.

The report claims that Newcastle are now prioritising a potential move for Serhou Guirassy (as well as Ruben Neves), rather than Ekitike.

Apparently, the Paris Saint-Germain man is liked by some members of the Newcastle hierarchy, but the swing is ‘majorly against bringing him in’ at this stage.

This is due to Ekitike being ‘inexperienced and untested, especially at the level of the Premier League.’

Guirassy, who plays for Stuttgart and the Guinea national team, has also been linked with the Magpies of late.

A different TEAMtalk report claims that Newcastle have already spoken to Guirassy’s agent and Stuttgart “about the structure of a deal”.

The striker has a release clause of £15million in his contract, and Newcastle are ready to trigger it, added the report.

Guirassy is also reportedly keen on playing in the Premier League, and Newcastle are apparently confident of getting a deal done.

Serhou Guirassy a great shout for Newcastle – TBR View

Newcastle moving for Guirassy would be a no-brainer really.

He’s talented, experienced, in his prime, and is reportedly available in January for a not over-the-top price.

The 27-year-old has enjoyed an amazing season so far, registering 16 goals and two assists from just 11 club outings in all competitions.

“Tall and powerful, Guirassy has all the hallmarks of a classic target man, and he can play this role,” the Ligue 1 website wrote in 2020.

“Strong in the air and in the challenge, Guirassy has that killer instinct and is a tough prospect for defenders and ‘keepers alike.

“But on top of his imposing physical presence, Guirassy also has a decent turn of pace and makes intelligent runs.”

However, with the likes of Tottenham apparently also pursuing him, Newcastle can’t rest on their laurels in pursuit of his signature.