Newcastle United may reportedly look to sign Paris Saint-Germain forward Hugo Ekitike during the January transfer window.
The Magpies enjoyed a productive period during the summer where they acquired a number of their targets to sufficiently boost their squad ahead of a hectic schedule.
However, Eddie Howe has been plagued by injury issues during 2023-24, with the end result being defeats to Borussia Dortmund and Bournemouth before the November international break.
With Sandro Tonali out of contention until August next year due to a ban for breaching betting regulations, Howe's priority is known to be acquiring another central midfielder.
Such have been Newcastle's fitness issues in the centre of the pitch that 17-year-old Lewis Miley started the encounter against Bournemouth on November 11.
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Nevertheless, with Aleksandar Isak having endured fitness problems of late and Callum Wilson already ruled out until the New Year, Howe finds himself in a position where he will have to contemplate other fresh faces.
According to Football Insider, that may lead to Newcastle reigniting their interest in Ekitike.
The North East outfit were in contention for the young Frenchman prior to the 2022-23 campaign, only for him to make the switch to PSG.
At the time, it appeared that the Ligue 1 champions had pulled off somewhat of a coup, but the 21-year-old has been restricted to 12 starts and 18 substitute outings in all competitions, scoring just the four goals.
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Just nine minutes of football has come just the current season - back on August 12 - and the assumption is that PSG will be open to offers at the turn of the year.
Should that prove to be the case, Newcastle would likely face strong competition from fellow Premier League clubs and abroad, particularly if a loan deal is PSG's priority option.
That said, it is plausible that Newcastle's long-standing admiration of Ekitike may convince him that St James' Park is the ideal place to earn regular action.
From the perspective of the English side, they must also stay within FFP regulations, with loan slots available should negotiations be opened in due course.
Darren Plant
