Hugo Ekitike, a former transfer target for Newcastle United, has formally joined Eintracht Frankfurt on a permanent basis.
The 22-year-old scored four goals in 16 appearances while on loan in Germany during the second half of the previous campaign. After manager Luis Enrique locked him out of Paris Saint-Germain, he made the transfer.
Frankfurt triggered the £14 million buy option that came with Ekitike’s transfer in April. However, just like with Lewis Hall at Newcastle, the deal wasn’t finalised until July 1.
With a five-year contract in hand, Ekitike welcomed the Bundesliga club’s supporters with a video message that began, “Heki here. I hope your vacation is going well. Hi Eintracht fans!” Everything is excellent for me.
“I won’t lie, I really miss you all and I really miss football. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and look forward to seeing you all at the stadium the next season. Salutations.
Ekitike turned down two moves to Newcastle in 2022—one in January and the other in the summer. While negotiations with the player’s representation were difficult as they held out for a move to PSG, the Magpies and Stade de Reims reportedly agreed on a £26 million deal.
Eddie Howe, the manager of Newcastle, remarked, “It’s no secret that we really liked Hugo and we worked hard to try and do that deal,” in reference to Ekitike’s rejection. He chose to join PSG and is a really brilliant young man.
“I wish him well in the next stage of his career and have no bad emotions towards him. I sincerely hope he has luck. But it serves as an illustration of the kinds of teams we face off against in an effort to strengthen our roster.
“It’s not as simple as people assume, and you’ll look at other possibilities and miss out on targets. In my professional life, I’ve done that before, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.
But the player’s ideal transfer to the French champs ended up being a nightmare. Ekitike made one appearance at the start of the previous season before being frozen out following 33 appearances in his rookie campaign.
West Ham United and Crystal Palace, among others, are said to have expressed interest in the player last summer, but Frankfurt acquired him on the second try, six months later.
Although it infuriated Newcastle supporters at the time, Ekitike’s rejection was probably a godsend. After paying £63 million to Real Sociedad for Alexander Isak, who has scored 35 goals in 67 games, United broke their own club record for transfer fees.
