Newcastle’s interest in Hugo Ekitike dates back to at least January 2022, when he rejected a move from Reims.
Newcastle tried again that summer but eventually bought Alexander Isak – and the question now is what bringing in Ekitike would mean for the Magpies’ current club record signing.
While sceptics might view Ekitike as a replacement for the much-coveted Isak, it is believed Newcastle plan to play them together – as well as switch between the two as they navigate a crowded fixture list following their return to the Champions League.
Isak played 98% of his Premier League minutes last season as a striker, otherwise featuring on the left of a front three. His central role in Newcastle’s attack is surely not to be messed with, given a return of 23 goals in 34 games.
However, a similar argument could be made for Ekitike. He scored 15 league goals in 31 starts for Eintracht Frankfurt last season and played as a striker 95% of the time, with just 3% spent on the left wing.
Besides, Newcastle are well-stocked in wide areas with Anthony Gordon, Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy and new £55m signing Anthony Elanga.
Touch maps for both forwards reveal they share a tendency to get on the ball in the inside left channel, but with Ekitike roaming more freely and a little deeper.
This perhaps offers encouragement for believing they can play alongside each other, with Ekitite at times dropping back to link with the midfielders. He is a provider as well as a scorer, ranking in the top 6% among forwards for creating chances in last season’s Bundesliga.
Ekitike also successfully forged a strike partnership with Omar Marmoush before the Egyptian was sold to Manchester City in January.
Isak, as a more orthodox number nine, performs a different role to Marmoush but possesses a similar game intelligence. In other words, he would adapt – but what about the rest of the Newcastle side? Their midfield three is considered one of the best in the Premier League but the team structure would need to change if Ekitike and Isak were to be paired in attack.