Newcastle 'favourites' to bring £30m striker to St James' Park

Newcastle United are in pole position to eventually lure long-term target Hugo Ekitike to St James’ Park when the transfer window reopens, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

Having spent considerable periods of the campaign in the relegation zone, the Magpies are now in the top half of the Premier League and head coach Eddie Howe can prepare for another season of top flight football on Tyneside.

According to 90min, Newcastle are close to completing a deal worth in the region of £30million, although Ekitike’s switch from French side Reims could initially be billed as a loan with an obligation to buy.

The report suggests the Magpies are set to beat the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United to the two-cap France under-20 international’s signature.

Ekitike has been a long-term target for Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe, who moved into the St James’ Park dugout last November.

He came agonisingly close to capturing the 19-year-old for up to £33million in January but, on deadline day, Ekitike opted to stay with Reims amid additional interest from Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain.

However, the frontman looks destined to leave his current employers when the transfer window reopens as Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot told Europe 1, via Get French Football News, that Ekitike will be allowed to depart and is ‘probably going to leave’ as he would ‘waste his time’ staying with the Ligue 1 outfit.

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O’Rourke believes Newcastle are the frontrunners to sign Ekitike as their interest has not faltered despite being left frustrated at the end of January.

The journalist understands various