Paris St. Germain have secured the services of Hugo Ekitike (20). A surprising move, because only a short time ago everything had actually indicated that the young striker would move to the island.
At the beginning of June, a move to Newcastle United seemed to be a mere formality for France’s greatest striker, but Ekitike turned down the Magpies – for the second time. Last January, the young attacker had already let the transfer to Newcastle fall through, although the clubs had already reached an agreement.
And even in the final analysis, the transfer came as a surprise: Until recently, French media had assumed that PSG would transfer 36 million euros to league rivals Stade Reims in order to secure the services of the centre-forward. However, the club has now announced that the deal is “only” a one-year loan with an option to buy.
Ekitike had shot himself into the focus of several big clubs last season with ten goals in 23 Ligue 1 games. The lanky attacker is considered to be a strong finisher and highly talented, but has also made a name for himself with his short fuse: In his first professional season in Reims, he saw red twice. In the Parisian star ensemble, he will probably only play a wild card role for the time being.