Hugo Ekitike has already addressed Newcastle United transfer decision ahead of fresh £69m bid
Hugo Ekitike has already addressed why he turned down the chance to join Newcastle United back in 2022.
Newcastle were initially snubbed by Ekitike in January 2022 as they sat in the Premier League relegation zone.
After avoiding relegation with aplomb, The Magpies made a fresh attempt to sign the striker and even saw a £25million bid accepted by Stade de Reims but were once again turned down by Ekitike.
Paris Saint-Germain then swooped in to agree a deal for the young forward.
Newcastle United pushing to sign Hugo Ekitike
Three years on, and an unsuccessful stint at PSG later, Ekitike is once again being heavily linked with a move to Newcastle.
Newcastle have reportedly made a £69million club record bid for the Eintracht Frankfurt forward, who scored 22 goals in all competitions last season.
Having been humbled by his experience at Paris, Ekitike is understood to finally be open to a Premier League move. Newcastle offering Champions League football for the second time in three seasons and having recently won a major trophy does make a move more appealing.
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Hugo Ekitike explains Newcastle United snub
Newcastle pushed hard to sign Ekitike back in 2022 and believed a move was close only for the player and his representatives to stall a deal and allow PSG to swoop in.
At the time, it left a sour taste but Newcastle ended up signing Alexander Isak, who has since established himself as one of the best strikers in Europe.
From Ekitike’s point of view at the time as a 19/20-year-old Frenchman, joining a Newcastle side still relatively unproven at the time over the Ligue 1 champions close to home and with Champions League football on offer, it was a no-brainer.
"I had lots of clubs," he told UEFA, addressing Newcastle’s interest at the time. "And Paris' offer arrived. That was that. The next logical step.
“Paris are the biggest club in France right now, winning everything. They had the best players in the world. How could I say no? I told my brother. I said, 'I want to go there straight away'. That's all I told him.”
But the reality was Ekitike was competing with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi in his only full season in the French capital. As such he rarely got a look in and was limited to just 14 starts, scoring four goals.
He was then frozen out of the squad for his second season, watching Newcastle’s 4-1 win over PSG in the Champions League on television before joining Frankfurt in January 2024.
"Obviously, in terms of longevity, I'm not going to say that my time in Paris was the happiest moment of my life but today, when I look back, I say to myself that maybe it was necessary,” he added. “I've got so many goals. I've got so many things ahead of me that I don't regret breaking my back sometimes. It's all part of my journey and I'm proud of it."