A leading agent has revealed how close Hugo Ekitike came to joining Newcastle, before the Magpies' move for the forward was hijacked by Liverpool in the summer transfer window.
Ekitike had been on Newcastle's radar since 2022 with the club initially missing out on his signing when the forward joined French giants PSG for £30.6m.
After failing to break into the PSG squad, Ekitike joined Eintracht Frankfurt on an initial loan which was made permanent for a £14million fee in 2024.
Ekitike had thrived at the Bundesliga club where he scored 26 goals in 64 matches, leading to Newcastle renewing their interest in the forward.