Hugo Ekitike's 'unimaginable' rise at Reims and turning down Newcastle United in January

Newcastle's Deadline Day started off in the best possible fashion with a bid accepted for rising star Hugo Ekitike, but that bubble soon burst with the French forward turning down a move to St. James' Park. At the time, the Magpies were battling for their lives at the foot of the Premier League.

The Reims youngster burst onto the scene with an impressive eight goals in just 20 appearances. His rejection was a blow for Eddie Howe's side, but a huge bonus for the Ligue 1 outfit.

It's fair to say the 19-year-old was unheard of in England prior to his failed Newcastle move. Needless to say, that doesn't mean he wasn't on a number of clubs' radar.

So just who is Ekitike? We spoke with Timothe Crepin, journalist at 90 Football, for an insight into Ekitike's rise to prominence, a player of Karim Benzema's mould and how he's fared since turning down Newcastle United.

"To be honest, Ekitike is one of the 3 or 5 biggest surprises of the season in Ligue 1. No one would have imagined that a 19-year-old player would score so many goals with Reims.

"And for those who follow Reims and the supporters, it was unimaginable. Hugo was the 3rd or 4th striker in the hierarchy at the start of the season ! He took his chance and was remarkable."

"In Benzema's style, he's not a striker who's just there to score. He participates in the game, in the actions. Whether it's back to the game, as a fulcrum.

"But he was obviously immensely effective in front of goal. An impressive serial killer side for a youngster who had only played twice in Ligue 1.

"He must be careful not to cut corners. He's still young. He is someone who has great self-confidence. But you still have to be careful with that. Too bad, his injury cut him off in this tremendous