Newcastle United are set to beat Premier League rivals West Ham United to the signing of Ligue 1 hotshot Hugo Ekitike with Sky Sports (live blog, 8.49am) reporting that a fee has been agreed.
The phrase ‘better late than never’ comes to mind.
This time last week, fears were growing that the January transfer window would pass Newcastle by. Yes, Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood had signed on the dotted line but their arrivals had been undermined by a seemingly never-ending series of near-misses, from Sven Botman to Diego Carlos.
By the time the clock strikes 11 on Monday night, however, the number of winter additions at St James’ Park will have risen considerably.
Bruno Guimaraes, a £33 million arrival from Lyon, feels like a transformative addition, someone capable of providing Eddie Howe with genuinely top-level talent in the centre of the park.
Dan Burn, meanwhile, brings Premier League experience, not to mention plenty of versatility.
Will Hugo Ekitike help Newcastle survive?
According to Sky, the highly-rated Hugo Ekitike will soon become signing number five. Newcastle have agreed a fee between £20 and £25 million for the 19-year-old sensation.
Ekitike, who only six months old when Alan Shearer blasted home that iconic volley against Everton in 2002, has scored eight goals in 18 Ligue 1 games for mid-table Reims this term.
Top-flight rivals West Ham failed with a £12.5 million bid for Ektike recently.
Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot, meanwhile, claimed that Newcastle had offered £29 million earlier this month.
He was reluctant to accept that offer due to a number of rather questionable bonuses. Including one predicated upon Newcastle winning the Champions League.
With Reims now accepting a lower bid for their prized asset, it will be interesting to see how Newcastle have managed to twist Caillot’s arm.
“There is something very special about him,” Reims coach Oscar Garcia tells the Ligue 1 website.
“He’s young, and he has the quality to become a very good player.”
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