Newcastle set sights on ‘the next Erling Haaland’ Benjamin Sesko after Hugo Ekitike joins PSG

Newcastle have begun targeting Red Bull Salzburg ace Benjamin Sesko after losing out on Hugo Ekitike to Paris Saint-Germain, according to one newspaper.

The Magpies were hoping to sign Ekitike in January, only for the striker to remain at Stade Reims. Newcastle restarted negotiations for his transfer this summer but couldn’t agree a deal.

That allowed PSG to steal in and capture the France U20 international on a season-long loan. The transfer will likely be made permanent at the end of the campaign, with PSG set to pay Stade Reims £29.8million for him.

When joining the reigning Ligue 1 champions, Ekitike said: “It’s a mixture of lots of feelings, lots of emotions. I obviously feel a lot of joy and pride in joining Paris Saint-Germain. It is an immense pride to be here.”

Explaining his decision to link up with Christophe Galtier’s side, the goalscorer added: “It’s the choice of the heart! I’m French too, it’s the club of my country.

“Finally, I myself have family in the Paris region, and I have always followed Paris Saint-Germain. All this made my desire to join this club very natural. It’s the right choice for me to be here!”

Newcastle officials have moved on quickly from the transfer saga and are now looking at signing Sesko instead, according to the Daily Mail.

The 19-year-old has been labelled ‘the next Erling Haaland’ due to his goalscoring exploits and the fact he plays for Salzburg. Haaland hit 29 goals for the Austrian outfit before joining Dortmund and then Manchester City.

Sesko isn’t as prolific as Haaland just yet. Last term, he found the net 10 times in all competitions for Salzburg, as well as registering seven assists.

However, the Slovenia international is highly rated in Austria and many expect him to