WEST HAM AND CRYSTAL PALACE GIVEN SECOND CHANCE TO SIGN STRIKER AFTER £32M BID
Hugo Ekitike may be given a second chance to join Crystal Palace and West Ham United in January, with Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain apparently willing to discuss loan deals.
You could forgive those Newcastle United fans for committing schadenfraude.
Newcastle, after all, agreed a fee to sign Hugo Ekitike from Reims back in 2022; the striker rebuffing Eddie Howe’s advances on a number of occasions, such was his desire to join Paris Saint-Germain instead.
After Newcastle turned their focus to Alexander Isak, and with Ekitike now something of a persona non grata in the French capital, Howe can certainly console himself by knowing that the Magpies emerged as the victors from a saga which rumbled on for months on end.
Ekitike only scored four goals in his initial season at PSG, little in comparison to Isak’s influence at St James’ Park. The France U20 international has only played eight minutes in PSG’s first four Ligue 1 games of the season, having been kept out of the matchday squad entirely against Lyon as punishment for turning down a late-summer trade to Eintracht Frankfurt.
According to L’Equipe, Ekitike passed over Frankfurt because he was only interested in the Premier League. West Ham were interested. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace proposed a loan-to-buy agreement. One that may have resulted in a club-record fee of £32 million.
PSG were only interested in a permanent sale at the time.
But, in order to get Ekitike off the payroll, Le Parisiens have altered their stance, according to L’Equipe. PSG are now open to take short-term winter proposals, although with a significant loan fee included in any arrangement.
A second chance for Crystal Palace and West Ham
Whether or not Crystal Palace renew their interest in January may depend on whether Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta – outstanding in the 3-2 win over Wolves – can maintain their recent resurgence in front of goal.
According to The Athletic, Everton were also interested in Ekitike.
The possibly inspired signing of Beto from Udinese, on the other hand, fills that specific need in Sean Dyche’s frequently feeble frontline. The slaloming, slithering Beto seemed to be the missing piece in Everton’s jigsaw, excelling in the 2-2 draw with Sheffield United before the international break in September.
