'Interestingly' - Sky Sports man reveals eye-opening NUFC 'phone call' received on Deadline Day

Pete Graves has been speaking on Sky Sports’ Transfer Talk podcast about how Newcastle United legend David Ginola tried to help sign Hugo Ekitike.

The Magpies appeared close to sealing a move for Ekitike on Deadline Day when Sky Sports reported that a fee had been agreed between Newcastle United and Reims, only for Ekitike himself to turn down a potential move.

Ekitike had clearly made Newcastle sit up and take interest in him this season having already scored eight goals in just 11 league starts, so the future certainly looks bright for him, but it’s not just in Newcastle he’s caught the eye, with former Magpies star Ginola offering his help to him sign, such is the player’s talent.

Speaking on Tuesday, not long after the transfer deadline passed, Graves revealed that Ginola wanted to try and convince Ekitike to join Newcastle.

He said: “Interestingly, yesterday I got a phone call from the representatives of David Ginola, seeing if he could help [sign Ekitike], but it was too late at that time, the boy had already decided not to go. Ginola obviously rates him as a player and was seeing whether there was any chance he could still sign.”

TIF Thoughts on Hugo Ekitike…

The striker certainly seems to have the world at his feet as at just 19 years old, he’s outscoring the likes of Lionel Messi, Moussa Dembele and Neymar in Ligue 1 this season and doing so emphatically, as with an expected goals value of just 4.8, he is outperforming it by at least three goals (FBRef).

It speaks volumes, however, that Ekitike was not willing to jump ship to Newcastle in the pursuit of money and the Premier League, with RMC Sport claiming that the striker was not convinced by his chances of regular game time, showing his morals and values are