The long-winded transfer saga involving Hugo Ekitike and Newcastle United is finally over after he joined Paris Saint-Germain.
Ever since the money dropped into Newcastle’s lap, the highly-rated 20-year-old had been tipped to join the club’s long-term project.
A move didn’t materialise in January and talk dragged on and on during the current transfer window, before he signed on the dotted line for PSG.
After Ekitike signed for the French champions on a loan deal with an option to sign for £30 million (ESPN), he expressed his delight at joining the cash-rush club, as they posted on Twitter.
The young striker claimed that it’s a ‘joy’ to join PSG and he thinks he has made the ‘right choice’ at this stage of his career.
“It’s really a bit of everything,” said Ekitike. “You really get a mixture of all the emotions. A lot of pride, and joy, this really is a proud moment for me to be here.
“It’s a choice of the heart because I am French too. There are the players who play here too. So that had an impact on my choice. And I have family in the Paris region.
“So it’s all those factors that make me think it’s the right choice for me to be here – it’s a logical choice to come here. There are the right players to progress. The staff, the manager, who already has a lot of experience, to progress.”
NEWCASTLE SUMMER GOING STRONG
From January to this summer, Newcastle have been pretty clear and blunt in how they are going to approach things in the transfer market.
Everyone knows they have the money, but rather than splash the cash in an unnecessary fashion and bow down to the demands of teams who add an extra few quid on their players, they are doing things the right way.
Whether it’s Manchester United asking for an inflated loan fee for Jesse Lingard in January to Stade de Reims trying to earn an extra few quid for Ekitike, those at St James’ Park have a bar and they are not going to cross it.
Of course, the Saudi-led club can throw money at their project in a crazy fashion, but they are making sure everything is done in a sophisticated manner because they aren’t going to be taken for a ride and this is a long-term project for a reason.
So, whilst some Newcastle fans would have been excited at seeing what Ekitike could have done in their colours, at the end of the day, there is plenty of fish left in the sea.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
