Newcastle 'resigned' to missing out on £30m star at St James' Park

Newcastle United have been left ‘disappointed’ and are ‘resigned’ to missing out on being able to tempt Reims striker Hugo Ekitike to St James’ Park, according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook.

The Magpies failed to sign Ekitike when he opted to stay in France on deadline day of the January transfer window, but that did not stop the Premier League side looking to force through a move this summer.

Having been appointed as Newcastle’s sporting director earlier this month, Dan Ashworth was quickly given the responsibility of attempting to lure Ekitike to Tyneside.

Ashworth is understood to have been locked in talks with Ekitike’s agent Karl Mwalako Buchmann.

However, it first appeared Newcastle had lost patience and walked away from the negotiating table when 90min claimed the Magpies had refused to part with additional agent payments.

The deal now appears to be off the table after Mail journalist Craig Hope revealed demands made by Ekitike’s representatives were ‘ridiculous’ and, as a result, the Tynesiders have moved onto alternative targets.

It is understood that Ekitike would have set Newcastle back close to £30million, including add-ons, had the move gone through.

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Crook believes Newcastle have failed in their pursuit of Ekitike, with the frontman’s agent looking to seal a move to a Champions League club for his client.

The talkSPORT reporter has sympathy for the Magpies after their prolonged interest and discussions did not pay off.

Crook told GIVEMESPORT: “I sense that his agent is holding out for a bigger club, maybe a Champions League club.

“I think Newcastle are resigned to that maybe not happening. They’d like to make it happen, but I think