Newcastle could be set to reignite their interest in Paris Saint-Germain striker Hugo Ekitike following the concerning injury blow to Callum Wilson, according to 90min.
Eddie Howe has had to battle with an unprecedented amount of injuries over the last few weeks, as the fight to compete on both the domestic and European stage has taken it’s toll on the Newcastle squad.
The return of Champions League football at St James’ Park has proved to be both a blessing and a curse for the Magpies, with not only iconic group-stage opponents providing thrills for the fans but a congested fixture schedule that has started to cause issues.
The Geordie boys have been led out by their manager at least twice a week consistently since the season began and it was bound to start affecting many of the players, especially those who have not experienced playing on the European stage.
Nevertheless, the fixtures will continue to come thick and fast over the coming weeks and months ahead which means Howe must find a solution to his inability to rotate and select with full confidence.
As a result, it will come as no surprise that Newcastle have been linked with several potential new additions when the January transfer window opens in a few weeks and today a familiar name has once again been tied to the North East outfit.
Hugo Ekitike is being touted as a potential option to bolster the Newcastle attacking threat at the turn of the year, as both Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak have both picked up injury issues on more than one occasion over the last 12 months and currently, Howe is without an out-and-out striker option.
90min claim that a loan deal is likely to be the most likely outcome should Ekitike swap Paris for Tyneside in January, though the Frenchman has already rejected the Magpies twice in the past.
Will Newcastle sign Hugo Ekitike?
Bolstering the attacking depth in the Newcastle squad wouldn’t be the worst idea for Howe when the transfer market reopens in January, especially if there is an opportunity to loan a player for the rest of the season instead of committing to a long-term deal.
Last summer, Ekitike joined Paris Saint-Germain after catching the eye of the Parisian’s during his time at Reims, however, it hasn’t worked out perfectly with limited game time affecting the young striker’s development and growth.
Since the start of the 2022/23 season, Ekitike has only made 33 appearances in all competitions averaging just 43 minutes per performance and offering up eight goal contributions in total, as per Transfermarkt.
Despite the lack of game time at Princes Park, the 21-year-old ranks in the top 20% of his positional peers in the top five European leagues for assists, pass completion, interceptions and blocks per 90, as per FBref, proving that he has a lot to offer beyond goals.
Not only that, Ekitike has the ability to play in the wider roles in the final third too so would not only be a worthy back-up for Wilson and Isak, but could also provide depth to the wider attacking positions over the remainder of the season for Newcastle.
With that being said, it will be interesting to see if Newcastle do make an approach for Ekitike but will likely depend on the state of play in terms of injuries when the transfer window reopens in January.
