Former Newcastle United transfer target questioned over Magpies snub

Former Newcastle United transfer target Hugo Ekitike has been questioned over his decision to snub the Magpies in favour of a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

United tracked the France Under-21 international for best part of a year during his time at Reims and believed they were moving closer to a deal during the January and summer transfer windows.

Back in the final hours of the January trading, a successful bid was lodged for Ekitike, only for the highly-rated forward to opt against a move at the last minute.

A similar scenario played out during the summer as United’s recruitment staff believed they were moving closer to securing one of their key targets.

However, Ekitike held off on completing a move as he awaited interest from other clubs.

That came in the form of a loan move to PSG and the season-long switch is believed to compulsory permanent deal agreed for next summer.

Despite having high hopes for his time at the Parc des Princes, Ekitike is yet to make a start for his temporary employers in eight Ligue 1 fixtures and two Champions League group stage games.

That has led to questions over his decision against moving to Tyneside being asked in the national media.

French outlet Le10 Sport have stated: “PSG, Newcastle. A career mistake for Hugo Ekitike?

“Newcastle could have been a better option. Ekitike was notably tracked by Newcastle, the English club had made Ekitike their priority. However, this did not happen.

“A mistake for the PSG player? Had Ekitike signed for the Magpies, the former Reims striker could have had a lot more playing time than he has at PSG.”

Ekitike was once again named as a substitute in PSG’s visit to Lyon on Sunday night.