Good things come to those who wait. That’s an aphorism firmly printed in the minds of Newcastle United’s fanbase, for sure.
The Magpies have endured another frustrating start to a summer transfer window, with the likes of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Joao Pedro all opting against moves to St. James’ Park.
But Eddie Howe has bounced back from last summer’s failed bid for Anthony Elanga by signing the Nottingham Forest winger for £55m, thus filling a gaping hole in his first-team squad.
Now, he’s planning something special. Something emblematic of the club’s ambitions, their desire to not just to upset the Premier League hegemony but to destroy it, establishing themselves as part of a new ‘big six’.
Having won the Carabao Cup and qualified for the Champions League for the second time in three years, the Toon are well on their way to achieving this, and the signing of Hugo Ekitike would only rubberstamp this new position of strength.
The latest on Hugo Ekitike to Newcastle
Make no mistake, Newcastle would send shockwaves rippling across the footballing world if beating Liverpool and Chelsea, among others, to Ekitike’s signature.
The Frenchman is a rare breed of centre-forward, truly dynamic and creative in his approach to his craft. Already, he has been described by analyst Ben Mattinson as being “one of the best strikers out there”, and yet we’re looking at a player who still has a mountain to climb before completing his development.
And it’s hard to imagine that evolution will simply cease upon a move to Tyneside. Eintracht Frankfurt have overseen the 23-year-old’s progress since he arrived from Paris Saint-Germain in January 2024 as a loanee before becoming a fixed feature at the prow of the ship.
Newcastle’s interest runs deep, of course, for United had a £33m bid accepted back in 2022, but for the Reims prospect’s head to be turned by PSG’s late interruption.
And now, according to top sources such as The Athletic’s David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano, Newcastle are pushing ahead, looking to close a deal.
Such news represents a double-edged sword: Ekitike has the makings of a world-class forward, but his acquisition heightens fears surrounding Alexander Isak’s future, with Liverpool having already made an attempt to lure him to Anfield in a staggering £130m deal. That’s the word of Times journalist Martin Hardy, anyway.
Especially since Howe is looking to take Newcastle’s summer expenditure to the next level, with a move for a Premier League star in the pipeline.
Newcastle discussing move for Premier League star
According to The Athletic, Ekitike isn’t the only former transfer target back on Newcastle’s radar, with Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi’s name being continually discussed in internal recruitment meetings.
Newcastle saw four bids for Guehi rejected by Eagles chairman Steve Parish last summer, but they could now return, with the Three Lions star in the final year of his contract and with no plans to renew.
Liverpool are also firm admirers, looking to sign the 25-year-old for £40m. However, as with Ekitike, Newcastle’s long-standing interest could hold sway in negotiations.
Why Marc Guehi would be a brilliant signing
Over the past several years, Guehi has established himself as one of the leading central defenders in English football, crowning his time at Crystal Palace, 155 senior appearances deep, with a reputation-raising victory over Manchester City to win the FA Cup in May.
His time at Selhurst Park looks to be reaching its end, though, with the Eagles likely to want to cash in on their “elite” talent, as he’s been called by writer Eddie Gibbs, rather than lose him on a free next year.
Hailed as a “monster in defence” by reporter Bobby Manzi, Guehi is quite literally the perfect defensive profile for Howe’s system: he’s combative, collected, and quietly authoritative.
Moreover, the England international’s surpassing technical qualities could see him charge the transitional emphasis, enhancing the system to a degree that could see him prove to be a signing just as exciting as any move for Ekitike, which is certainly saying something.
Ekitike is one of the most talented young strikers around, but he’s also got work to be done. There are blemishes in his ball-striking, weaknesses in his intuitiveness, though these are small things, outweighed by the scale of his potential.
Guehi, conversely, has shaped into the complete package under Oliver Glasner’s wing in the capital and would be expected to hit the ground running at Newcastle.
When fit and fully functional, Sven Botman is patently Newcastle’s best centre-half. His 2022/23 campaign was a thing to behold, but his last two terms have been disrupted by setbacks.
Looking at how Guehi ranks up against that giddy height is quite a thing. This might be a player who moves over and instantly establishes themselves as the cream of Newcastle’s crop.
Matches (starts)
36 (35)
34 (34)
Goals
0
3
Assists
0
2
Clean sheets
11
11
Touches*
58.4
64.9
Pass completion
87%
84%
Key passes*
0.3
0.5
Dribbles (success)*
0.1 (100%)
0.4 (86%)
Tackles + interceptions*
2.0
2.6
Clearances*
3.3
4.6
Duels (won)*
3.5 (67%)
4.9 (59%)
We can extrapolate the data above to posit Guehi’s signature being of equal merit, equally as exciting, to any deal for Ekitike in the coming weeks.
Guehi, after all, has been named as “England’s best centre-back” by one analyst, the evidence of which lies in his fixed position in the Three Lions starting line-up over the past couple of years.
As is starting to become a frustrating theme, it looks like a deal for Guehi will indeed include fending off Liverpool. But, with Howe building an incredible project and Guehi sure to assume a leading role under the St. James’ Park lights, the Englishman might just feel that a move to Newcastle represents the best move for his career at this stage.
Considering the calibre of player the Palace man is and the need for a centre-back, there’s certainly an argument that Guehi could be the defining success of a tremendous transfer window on Tyneside.
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