In a recent report, Foot Mercato offered an update on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Stade Reims striker Hugo Ekitike. It has been claimed that the Magpies have reached an agreement over a deal to acquire the services of the French attacker.
Ekitike’s Good Run Of Form In French Football This Season
Ekitike has enjoyed a decent campaign in France as he managed to net some important goals for his team in the attacking third of the field. The 19-year-old has registered 11 goals and five assists in 26 matches for his current employers this season in various competitions.
The talented teenager has been a joy to watch in the opposition half. Ekitike has done well to average 1.3 shots, 0.7 key passes and 1.0 dribbles per 90 minutes in Ligue 1.
However, he can improve his ball distribution a bit as he completed just 71.1% of his attempted passes in the top tier of French football (stats via whoscored).
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Is Ekitike A Decent Signing For Newcastle United?
Ekitike can time his runs well in behind the opposition backline and is proficient at engineering some decent openings for others around him in the final third. He is primarily a centre-forward but can even operate as a left-sided wide player if required.
The French youngster has transformed himself into a good finisher in front of the opposition goal over the past ten months. Hence, Newcastle should think about getting Ekitike on board as soon as possible.
The Ligue 1 talent has got the potential to become a success story at St. James’ Park in the coming seasons. Plus, we can expect him to inject some much-needed firepower into Eddie Howe‘s attack.
The future is quite bright for Ekitike as long as he continues to take strides towards improving himself each year. All in all, Ekitike will be a decent signing for the Magpies this summer as he will give them more options going forward. The French whizkid could also have a great resale value in the future if Howe can unlock the best out of him at Tyneside.
