Newcastle United have reportedly reignited their interest in Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitiké for a third time, and are now waiting on a response from the German club who have already rejected another £60.1m offer from elsewhere.
According to The Telegraph, Newcastle are back at the table for Ekitiké, who is seen as a potentially complimentary piece alongside current star striker Alexander Isak, rather than a hypothetical replacement.
Ekitike has previously snubbed Newcastle’s advances back in January 2022, but a £20m transfer fell through on deadline day. The French forward then moved to PSG but failed to make an impact at Parc des Princes, making only 33 appearances and scoring four goals.
The report claimed the Bundesliga side will likely hold out for the striker’s €100m [£86m] release clause, but that Newcastle had nevertheless ‘made the player’s representatives aware of their desire to sign the France Under-21 international and hope to agree a fee’, perhaps having been prompted into action by Frankfurt signing striker Jonathan Burkardt from Mainz for £18m.
It’s not clear what a deal for Ekitike will mean for ‘dream’ Liverpool target Alexander Isak, though according to the report, Newcastle are looking to sign the Frankfurt star to play with Isak or as a rotation option for Howe as they will have Champions League football to contend with on top of domestic commitments next season.
Ekitike is under contract until 2029, but a switch to the Premier League is thought to appeal to the 23-year-old forward. Newcastle have previously stated that Isak is not for sale, and the two could partner each other in Howe’s new-look attack.
In an earlier report by Softfootball, Liverpool are set to offer Konate plus £30.4m in blockbuster swap deal for Real Madrid star.
Liverpool are reportedly ready to offer Ibrahima Konate to Real Madrid as part of a stunning swap deal that would see Brazilian forward Rodrygo head to Anfield.
