Newcastle given painful transfer reminder after £25.6m deal collapsed

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Newcastle have been given another reminder on what they missed out on last summer in failing to get a deal over the line for young Hugo Ekitike with the striker scoring his third goal in as many games for Paris Saint-Germain against Angers on Wednesday night. Ekitike came close to signing for Newcastle on two different occasions in 2022.

The deal ultimately fell through with Ekitike joining PSG on a season-long loan with an option to make the move permanent. The striker has had to cope with being a squad player at the Ligue 1 giants for most of this season with Kylian Mbappe the main option through the middle.

But Ekitike has been given his chance to shine in recent weeks and he’s made the most of his opportunity. He scored his third goal in three games during PSG’s clash with Ligue 1 basement side Angers.

The 20-year-old latched onto a cross into the near-post, finishing expertly past the Angers goalkeeper. Newcastle haven’t exactly been made to rue missing out on Ekitike with Callum Wilson, Alexander Isak and Chris Wood in their squad.

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But his recent performances for PSG highlight just what kind of player Newcastle may have missed out on. Eddie Howe had made signing Ekitike one of his top priorities after taking the job at St James’ Park.

They came close to signing the Frenchman in the January window last year before reigniting their interest in the summer window. The deal looked to be going ahead as planned with Newcastle and Reims reaching an agreement for a fee in the region of £25.6million.

But the move sensationally fell through at the final hurdle with the player’s agent’s demands proving too much for Newcastle. PSG then came in with an offer to sign the talented Frenchman on a season-long loan with an option to buy.

Ekitike addressed Newcastle’s interest in signing him “I had an appointment with Luis [Campos, PSG sporting director] which meant a lot to me,” Ekitike said at the time.

“It was not so long ago. We talked a lot, he is someone I value a lot. I wanted to come to PSG before this exchange, but he convinced me even more. 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.”

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