Howe taking decisive action as £30m ‘wonderkid’ being rushed to Newcastle

Reports claim Newcastle United are in ‘advanced talks’ with Stade de Reims over the possibility of signing teenage striker Hugo Ekitike this month.

The 19-year-old has been turning heads with his displays for the Ligue 1 outfit. The France Under-20 ace has bagged eight goals from 10 top-flight starts and 17 appearances. And he has also chipped in with a couple of assists as Reims sit 14 in the French top-flight standings.

Eddie Howe is eyeing a new forward after the injury to Callum Wilson. And, according to 90min, the youngster could be signed in time for Saturday’s clash with Watford.

The report states Newcastle are very keen to sign the “wonderkid” and are in “advanced talks”. They say the deal will likely be worth “just shy of £30m”.

Howe is reportedly a big fan and has green-lighted the deal. The Magpies need help up front after scoring just 19 league goals from as many games in 2021-2022.

Wilson notched six of those but now faces up to eight weeks on the sidelines. He picked up a calf injury in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United.

Howe is looking to address the situation, with many names linked to the north-east outfit. But it is a relatively unknown young striker that may have to carry the burden of scoring the club’s goals.

They have 19 games to save themselves after a dreadful first half of the campaign. With just 11 points to their name, the Tynesiders will need to up their game significantly to pull clear of the bottom three.

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They sit 19th in the table but the cavalry have started to arrive. Kieran Trippier has already joined from Atletico Madrid and other deals are in the offing.

Ekitike among many Newcastle targets

Ekitike looks an exciting prospect tailor-made for the Premier League. At 6ft 3, he has the build to cope with the physical nature of England’s top division.

And, with an eye for goal, he may help solve Howe’s problem in the final third. He scored three from 11 outings while spending time on loan with Danish club Vejle Boldklub last season.

But there have also been reports that the St James’ Park outfit are targeting a defensive midfielder in January. The Daily Mail are suggesting that Howe has his eyes on PSV star Ibrahim Sangare.

The Ivory Coast international would provide a screen in front of a rearguard that has already conceded 42 times this term. He is currently on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations and is rated highly by his club.

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