Newcastle's struggles to land Hugo Ekitike hint at new battle the club faces
It's proving a long endeavour to land the promising 20-year-old Frenchman, with discussions still ongoing.
Newcastle United want Hugo Ekitike this summer. The club made their stance on the talented 20-year-old known in January, but the player was hesitant to disrupt his breakthrough campaign in Ligue 1. This summer, the Magpies’ new hierarchy had hoped to strike early to land the potential future star, but have found negotiations slow and frustrating.
At the crux of it, at least from an outsider looking in, it seems to be that the ambitious vision of Newcastle’s new owners has come to loggerheads with two of the driving forces of modern football: money and greed.
Now, that is not to suggest in any part that the player is intentionally holding out for more money, nor to absolve Newcastle of all guilt in the delays. Ekitike at least appears interested enough in the project on Tyneside to entertain far progressed conversations, while Newcastle’s new owners have appeared understandably cautious in the early weeks of the summer window - keen to avoid a so-called ‘Newcastle tax’ being placed on their dealings.
Yet, greed does seem to be playing a part in the Ekitike deal still and from another interested party: the player’s representatives.
Let’s not kid ourselves. The whole purpose of players retaining agents is to strike the most lucrative deals possible for their clients. But that also comes with a percentage cut, and at least in the way frustrations have been bubbling in the Ekitike deal, it feels as if there may be influence in delaying the deal from such invested parties.
A quick search of the 20-year-old Ekitike’s agent, named in the press as Karl Mwalako Buchmann, and one finds an agency (like so many others) with little more on its books than a selection of talented young prospects.
Ekitike, it is fair to say, is the most exciting and likely of these to land a big money move in the immediate future - one would still assume to St. James’ Park and the famous black and white. Therefore, suggestions that Newcastle are growing frustrated that Ekitike continues to be touted to other clubs despite the ongoing negotiations sounds squarely like the actions of agents and representatives seeking to drive up a higher price and fee. After all, being able to say a player in is demand by the likes of Paris Saint-Germain is going to provide a stronger position to negotiate from then if it was a quiet, done deal.
For supporters and the club, it is deeply frustrating. Newcastle are right to push back publicly and hint at a willingness to leave the table (even if, just like the PSG and other links, these are likely empty threats) but unfortunately for the club’s new ambitious owners, these are the games they are going to be forced to play.
For every cut and dry Matt Targett deal, there’s going to be a big money signing like Ekitike which requires them to go around the houses somewhat. Especially this summer, when Newcastle and their newfound wealth has made them a media fascination across the continent.
It is very easy for agents to get Newcastle’s name in among the mix for a player with just a few phone calls, and likewise with the money they have and calibre of player they’re seeking, it’s just as easy to introduce rumours of Europe’s elite being interested… or ‘monitoring the situation’ for what good that meaningless phrase serves.
This deal for Ekitike, while I do believe it will get done, still has days (even maybe weeks) longer to rumble on as the player, Stade Reims and their representatives push for every last available cent.
Newcastle’s new hierarchy needs to stay strong in their position, and supporters have to grin and bare what is likely to be a long, protracted and soon to be commonplace transfer saga.