Newcastle United are making progress in their bid to sign Hugo Ekitike, a player given an interesting nickname by Lionel Messi.
Newcastle United want Ekitike to play alongside Alexander Isak next season, despite both players being linked with moves to Liverpool.
Having rejected a move to the club three years ago, Ekitike has agreed personal terms with Newcastle.
They remain in talks with Eintracht Frankfurt, having seen an opening offer rejected by the German club.
Still, recent news is promising for Newcastle.
- Who is Hugo Ekitike? Meet the striker who could become Newcastle United’s record signing
Newcastle United make significant progress in Hugo Ekitike talks
According to Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg on social media platform X, Newcastle have made significant progress in their bid to sign the French striker.
It’s now claimed that Frankfurt expect a second offer from the club, which could be set to break Newcastle’s transfer record.
Again, there is no suggestion that signing Ekitike will mean Isak leaves St James’ Park this summer.
Lionel Messi’s nickname for Hugo Ekitike
Instead of joining Newcastle in 2022, Ekitike joined Paris Saint-Germain from boyhood club Reims.
He ended up making only 33 appearances for the club, struggling for game time due to the fact Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe were also in the squad.
| Games | Joint-goal participation |
| 24 | 0 |
Still, Messi reportedly took a liking to the striker behind the scenes.
In October 2022, L’Equipe claimed that the Argentine great had become something of a mentor for Ekitike and even gave him the nickname ‘iron rod’ due to his wiry frame.
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