07-15 10:02Views 4721
Newcastle United are negotiating a potential deal to sign Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike for approximately €75 million. While an agreement has not been reached yet, talks between the clubs are ongoing. This fee would surpass Newcastle's current record transfer, the €71.2 million paid for Alexander Isak in 2022.
Newcastle previously attempted to sign Ekitike in January 2022 for over £20 million, but the deadline day move collapsed. Despite this, the club maintained interest in the 23-year-old player. Ekitike joined Frankfurt permanently in summer 2024 for €17.5 million after a loan spell from Paris Saint-Germain. In the 2024-25 season, he scored 22 goals and provided 12 assists for Frankfurt.
Ekitike, currently contracted to Frankfurt until 2029, has been pursued by Newcastle before. In January 2022, while at Reims, he hesitated about a late move to Newcastle despite a framework agreement between the clubs, eventually joining PSG on loan that summer before the move was made permanent. Should he leave Frankfurt now, it would be the club's third major attacker sale in two years, following Omar Marmoush's €70-75m move to Manchester City and Randal Kolo Muani's €95m transfer to PSG.
Ekitike's 15 Bundesliga goals in 2024-25 tied him with former teammate Marmoush for the season. He played a key role in Frankfurt securing a third-place finish in the Bundesliga, qualifying the club for the Champions League for only the second time in their history via league position. He also scored in their Europa League semi-final aggregate defeat (2-1) to eventual champions Tottenham Hotspur.
Other clubs have shown interest in Ekitike this summer, with Manchester United enquiring about his availability and Chelsea being interested before signing other forwards.
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