Eddie Howe £85m transfer target has already made feelings clear about Newcastle United move

Newcastle United have had a pretty slow start to the summer transfer window, but the message has always been clear – quality over quantity. The Magpies are set to unveil Anthony Elanga as their first signing of the summer, bolstering Eddie Howe’s options on the right-hand side of their attack.

The club remain in talks with Burnley over a move for James Trafford, and there’s hope that a deal will be concluded soon, having failed in their pursuit last summer. Newcastle are expected to target a new striker and centre-back ahead of their return to the Champions League.It’s perhaps no surprise to see them linked with a move for Hugo Ekitike once again. The French forward infamously turned down a move to St. James’ Park back in 2022, opting to sign for French giants PSG.At the time, Newcastle were at the beginning of their ascent in English football and would miss out on the striker, despite agreeing terms with Reims, with reports claiming Ekitike’s agent would move the goalposts.

Ekitike would struggle to break into the PSG side and left the French club on a permanent transfer last summer, rejoining Eintracht Frankfurt, where he’d spent the second half of the 2024 campaign on loan.

The 23-year-old has impressed with the Bundesliga side, scoring 26 goals in 64 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit. The likes of Liverpool and Chelsea are reported to have made contact with Ekitike over a possible transfer last month but, as of yet, have been unable to strike a deal.Now, journalist Fabrizio Romano claims that Newcastle are still keen on signing the striker, just days after Callum Wilson’s departure from the club was made official.Hugo Ekitike keeps attracting interest from Premier League with Newcastle keen on the striker.

More Premier League clubs remain also informed on situation, after Liverpool and Chelsea calls in June.The Magpies interest in Ekitike will come as no surprise to supporters who were heavily invested in the transfer saga years ago; however, the youngster turning the club down left a bitter taste in the mouth for those of a black and white contingent.Nevertheless, Ekitike made it clear that he would have signed for Newcastle had PSG not entered the race late on.I had an appointment with Luis [Campos], which meant a lot to me,” Ekitike told Le10 Sport at the time of his PSG transfer. “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 [with Campos], but he convinced me even more [to go to PSGI’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.”

It’s unclear whether Newcastle were still keen on a move for Ekitike prior to his move to Germany, but one look at the club’s battle with PSR in recent years perhaps tells you everything you need to know.

It’ll be an interesting one to watch, and with both Alexander Isak and Ekitike up front, the Toon would have one of the most feared strike forces in the Premier League.