PSG are reportedly leading the race to sign Stade Reims centre-forward Hugo Ekitike with Manchester United and Newcastle United also showing interest.
Foot Mercato journalists Santi Aouna and Sebastien Denis report that Paris Saint-Germain have stepped up their pursuit to sign Stade Reims’ 19-year-old forward Hugo Ekitike. Luis Campos, who is reportedly set to take over from Leonardo as PSG’s sporting director, is handling the Ekitike case.
With a host of other clubs like Manchester United, Newcastle United, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund tracking the teenager, PSG are eager to make the first move and are prepared to submit a €45 million bid for Ekitike.
The French champions’ new recruitment policy reportedly focuses on signing talented youngsters with room for improvement. The France Under-20 international fits the bill for PSG in that case, and Campos has taken charge of the deal. He has reportedly made contact with Reims over a possible summer move.
The centre-forward was reportedly close to joining Newcastle in the January transfer window, but a €45 million move fell off at the last minute, and the player stayed put. Ekitike still has two years left on his contract with the Ligue 1 side. The Magpies have retained their interest but have been joined by multiple other interested parties.
The teenager’s form in the recently-concluded season has caught the eyes of many. He scored 10 and assisted four goals in 24 Ligue 1 appearances for Reims, finishing with the best shots to goal ratio in the league with 0.31 goals per shot. Moreover, 55.2% of his shots have been on target.
A hamstring injury in February this year kept him out of action for over two months, but the youngster did not let the gap affect his output. Ekitike scored once and assisted once in the three matches that he played to finish the season upon recovering from the injury.
Newcastle United are seeking to add more quality to their attacking unit that is overreliant on Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin, while Manchester United need to sign a new forward with Edinson Cavani set to depart, with his contract expiring. However, PSG seem to have stolen the march on the Premier League duo in pursuit of the vastly talented and versatile Ekitike.
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A centre-forward by trade, the 19-year-old has also featured on the left wing in three league matches this season, scoring a goal from the position, highlighting his versatility. Everything points toward a bright future for the French youngster, who could feature for PSG next season if things go to plan for the Ligue 1 champions.
