Hugo Ekitike £26m Newcastle United transfer decision questioned by club director after PSG snub

Stade de Reims director Mathieu Lacour has suggested his former player may have been better suited to joining Newcastle over the Ligue 1 champions, using Champions League qualification and Alexander Isak’s success on Tyneside as an example.

Newcaste broke their transfer record to sign Isak from Real Sociedad for £63million after Ekitike twice turned down the chance to join the club in January and June 2022. Instead, the French youngster opted to join PSG on an initial loan move that was then made permanent for £29million over the summer.

The Magpies were understood to have agreed a £26million fee with Reims before the transfer collapsed due to agent’s demands.

A difficult 2022-23 season in Paris saw Ekitike score four goals in 32 appearances, with the majority of those coming off the bench. PSG attempted to offload the 21-year-old over the summer but he turned down the chance to join Eintracht Frankfurt amid Premier League interest from the likes of West Ham United and Nottingham Forest.

Ekitike’s decision to remain at PSG has proven costly with the striker frozen out of the first-team set-up and left out of the Champions League squad. He was forced to watch his side’s 4-1 defeat to Newcastle at St James’ Park earlier this month from his living room.

Reflecting on the move so far, Reims director Lacour told Le Club des 5: “We never have as many scouts [visit] when we had Hugo Ekitike. We have never had so many clubs.

“It was amazing. [Joining PSG] was his choice and that of his agent. Perhaps another project would have allowed him to express himself better.”

After losing out on Ekitike, Newcastle finished fourth in the Premier League and qualified for the Champions League for the first time in over 20 years.

“When I see Newcastle, who pushed hard in January and June, when you see today the way Isak is flourishing at Newcastle, perhaps we would be talking today about Hugo like we are about Isak,” Lacour added.

“It’s his career choice. I’m not criticising what he did. He is French, and playing with Messi, Neymar and Mbappe…I can understand.”