Signing Hugo Ekitike would undo Eddie Howe’s blueprint at Newcastle United

Desperate times call for desperate measures… but have Newcastle United stooped this low? If reports are to be believed, the Magpies are considering a fresh approach for French rebel Hugo Ekitike.

Not once, but twice did the forward reject advances from Newcastle. The first came almost two years ago when Eddie Howe’s side were embroiled in a relegation battle.

Ekitike, a mere 19-year-old at the time, was enjoying a fine breakthrough season at boyhood club Reims. Eight league goals before January put Europe’s top clubs on high alert and ChronicleLive understood a deadline-day deal had been agreed.

The player rejected the proposal and, in fairness, that was fair game. Persuading a prospect to join a volatile environment – just months after breaking into the first team – was a tough ask.

As it turned out, Ekitike missed most of the campaign with a hamstring injury as Newcastle coasted to Premier League survival. With the threat of relegation evaporated, Ekitike – and other January target Sven Botman – were top of the shopping list.

But a lengthy transfer saga resulted in the youngster souring his relationship with Newcastle fans before it had begun. This time, rejection cut deep. Like the last boy picked for a dance at the school disco, the Magpies watched on as Ekitike flirted and teased, keeping his fate hanging in the balance before running off with the popular Paris Saint-Germain.

ChronicleLive understood an initial £25million had been accepted but Toon chiefs were unwilling to match Ekitike’s agent’s demands. PSG, on the flip side, offered less than Newcastle – but stumped up the agent fee and the deal was done.

The man himself, Karl Buchmann, was the root of most Newcastle fans’ vitriol towards Ektike. When the deal collapsed in January, he claimed the club lacked a “short or medium-term project”, a theory that, given United’s rise to the Champions League, has since been disproved.

He then bizarrely thanked his client for refusing to doubt him once a move to PSG was confirmed. He posted on Instagram: “Welcome Ekitike to PSG. Now I know that the future is not written anywhere. Only 20 years old and if you still have a lot to offer of your talent, I can already testify to your loyalty, your integrity and your courage.

“Thank you for never doubting me. I respect you for that little bro. You’re a real man. They didn’t believe in us. God did!”

Make no mistake, as Ekitike’s agent, he was likely echoing the player’s true sentiments. So why the U-turn? By some accounts, he is now considering a loan move to Tyneside in the new year.

It is common knowledge that the PSG move has proven a disaster. While Newcastle have enjoyed a meteoric rise, Ekitike’s career has failed to follow a similar trajectory.

United’s 4-1 win over the Ligue 1 giants in October highlighted their contrasting circumstances. Ekitike, banished from the first team until further notice, was forced to watch the game at home.

Just eight minutes of action all season is not conducive to a player who can challenge Alexander Isak – the man signed instead of him – or Callum Wilson for a starting berth. Call it stubborn, but Ekitike should be nowhere near Newcastle’s shortlist given the history.

Howe has carefully assembled a squad where character and teamwork are at its very core. Signing a striker who twice rejected Newcastle sets a poor precedent and would undo the ethos he continues to instil at St James’ Park.

Some may point towards Loic Remy from yesteryear, the Frenchman who rejected Newcastle before impressing on loan the following season. The parallels are there – but this is a different era. Ekitike had his chance – twice – and has done little since to deserve another one.

The urge for a striker is prevalent, just type in the #NUFC hashtag on social media. But Isak and Wilson will be fit by January and that will soften the desperation. Meticulous work should go into signing a striker, making any deal better suited to the summer – so long as Ekitike and his agent are not arriving at St James’ Park with tails between their legs.