Fabrizio Romano says long-term Newcastle United target 'expected to leave' club this summer - Magpies still keen

Could Newcastle United finally get their man after a pursuit that dates back three years?

Before Newcastle acquired the legend that is Alexander Isak, there were many other names in the frame with one being reported by several outlets as a done deal.

Hugo Ekitike was reportedly all set to join Newcastle from Ligue 1 side Stade Reims but at the 11th hour the Frenchman changed his mind and signed for Paris Saint-Germain on a loan deal with an obligation to buy.

The first year at PSG did not go as planned with poor performances and worse discipline. As Newcastle fans breathed a sigh of relief at dodging a bullet, PSG started to make moves to offload the troublesome forward.

Hugo Ekitike is starting to live up to the promise he showed as a teenager

Eventually, Ekitike was shipped off to Eintracht Frankfurt on loan where he made a good enough impression that the Bundesliga side made the move a permanent one.

Since then, the 22-year-old has started to look like the forward Newcastle scouts thought he could be scoring 13 goals in 25 league games this season.

His form has been so good that recently it has been reported that Newcastle could revive their interest in him in the summer.

Would a move for the new and improved Hugo Ekitike be a good one for Newcastle?

Now, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has added fuel to the fire by claiming on X that Ekitke could leave Frankfurt this summer.

Newcastle are in desperate need of support for Alexander Isak and provided Ekitike has done the required growing up since we last tried to tempt him to Tyneside, then he could be a fantastic addition to the squad.

We expect that plenty of fans will be sceptical that he's got the right attitude, and we certainly share that trepidation, but there's no doubting his quality on the field.