Paris Saint-Germain star chased by West Ham banished from squad for Newcastle United clash

Had things worked out differently, Hugo Ekitike could have been lining up in Newcastle United colours for tonight’s Champions League fixture. But instead, even after joining Paris Saint-Germain, the striker won’t feature at all.

Ekitike twice turned down a move to St James’ Park in January and the summer last year, despite the Magpies agreeing a reported £26million fee with Stade de Reims as discussions with the player’s representatives stalled holding out for a move to PSG.

He eventually got his move to the Ligue 1 champions, joining on an initial season-long loan before his move was made permanent in the summer for an obligatory £29m.

Speaking after making the switch, the France under-21 international said: “It is the choice of the heart! I’m French too, it’s the club of my homeland, of my country.

“And then it’s a club where the greatest players evolve, where there is a quality and experienced staff, the desire to win all the titles in all competitions.

“There is everything here for me to progress. All the ingredients are there, so it’s a logical choice for me to be here.

“Finally, I myself have family in the Paris region, and I have always followed Paris Saint-Germain. All this made my desire to join this club very natural. It’s the right choice for me to be here.

“I’m not setting aside everything Newcastle did for me to come. If I had to go abroad, I would have gone there. But when PSG wants you and you’re French, you can’t refuse.”

The move, however, hasn’t at all gone to plan.

Ekitike has struggled to make an impact and his attitude was supposedly questioned throughout the 2022-23 season, where he scored four goals in 32 appearances but over half of those came off the bench.

PSG accepted offers from Eintracht Frankfurt and Zenit Saint Petersburg on transfer deadline day, while there was also interest from West Ham United, but Ekitike was only interested in joining Crystal Palace on loan.

The French club refused and Ekitike’s refusal to leave resulted in the 21-year-old being banished from their Champions League squad and as a result miss the trip to St James’ Park this evening. Indeed, Ekitike is unlikely to play for PSG again.

A penny for Ekitike’s thoughts right now.