When Newcastle United target a player these days, they usually get it right.
Not many of the signings the club have made during the PIF era have not worked out.
Indeed, perhaps only Chris Wood could be labelled a waste of money and even he played a key role in keeping the team in the Premier League.
With that in mind, the recruitment staff deserve a certain level of trust.
Which brings us to a certain Hugo Ekitike.
The 21-year-old, compared to France legend David Trezeguet during his time at Reims, rather infamously chose Paris Saint-Germain over Newcastle last summer, despite the club’s attempts to sign him.
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Now, however, the situation could change.
Newcastle could go back in for Hugo Ekitike
It’d be fair to say things haven’t got to plan for the forward since moving to the French capital.
Left out of PSG’s Champions League squad who, ironically enough, are set to meet Newcastle in the group stage, it appears he may be afforded an exit.
According to the Sunday Mirror (page 78 on 17/09/2023), Newcastle will be “part of the conversation” were PSG to sell him in January.
West Ham, Crystal Palace and Brentford are also said to be keen.
Newcastle clearly see something in Ekitike
While the idea of turning back to a player to have rejected the club already may not please some, it’s clear Newcastle see something in the forward.
They simply wouldn’t have chased him for so long if they weren’t convinced.
Should the recruitment staff deem it worthy to relaunch their interest, they have to be backed. The coherent way in which they’ve built Eddie Howe’s squad surely means they must be on to something, after all.
Ekitike was seemingly poorly advised in his decision to move to PSG. That does not mean he would be a poor signing going forward.