“Newcastle will..”: Romano drops worrying transfer update that'll have Howe fuming - opinion

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update regarding the situation surrounding Newcastle United‘s attempts to sign Reims striker Hugo Ekitike.

In a tweet on Thursday evening, the journalist and transfer expert had this to say on the matter: “New hamstring injury for Hugo Ekitike today during France game. His agent was expected in Newcastle on Monday after agreement reached with Reims, but he delayed. #NUFC

“The deal could be even more delayed now after injury – Newcastle will also consider other options.”

Having been linked with a move for the striker, it seems as though this update could be a rather unfortunate speedbump for the Magpies, and one which will surely have Eddie Howe fuming if the club aren’t able to secure the Frenchman’s signature.

A product of Reims’ youth system, the 19-year-old has made 41 appearances across their senior and youth teams, in which he has found the net 17 times and delivered four assists along the way.

This latest season in France saw the teenager score 11 goals and supply three assists in 25 appearances, highlighting the attacking talent that he has at such a young age. He also ended the campaign with the joint-second highest average of shots per game (1.3) out of players currently at Reims.

Taking all this into account, it’s certainly easy to see why the Toon are so keen to add Ekitike to their ranks, as they could then have the chance to unearth someone who could become one of the Premier League’s top strikers in the future.

However, now that this injury to the 19-year-old may have delayed the potential deal, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not Newcastle stick with it and try and get it over the line. As Romano mentioned, they may forget about signing the youngster and move onto