Newcastle United learn Reims asking price for Hugo Ekitike

The Magpies came close to signing Ekitike in January, only for a proposed deal for the Reims centre-forward to collapse on deadline day.

Newcastle officials had agreed the framework of a deal for the 19-year-old with the hierarchy at Reims, only for Ekitike to back out of the move and opt to see out the rest of the season in Ligue 1.

He is expected to move on this summer, with Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe still keen to take him to St James’ Park. With Dwight Gayle expected to leave the Magpies once the transfer window officially reopens, and ongoing question marks over the injury record of the club’s number one striker, Callum Wilson, Howe regards Ekitike as an exciting long-term prospect who is capable of making an immediate impact on the first team.

Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot accepts that Ekitike will leave in the next few months, but he is adamant his club will not be short-changed.

When asked what Reims would be looking for before agreeing to a sale, Caillot said: “The amount should be more than €20m. Afterwards, you have to know how to be reasonable.”

The €20m figure has been interpreted within the French media as the minimum sum Reims would be prepared to accept as an up-front payment, before a series of additional clauses are added to the deal.

One of the major sticking points in January was that the Reims hierarchy felt a number of Newcastle’s proposed add-ons were unrealistic, so negotiations are likely to prove difficult even if the Magpies’ initial offer is accepted.

West Ham have been strongly linked with a possible summer move of their own, although sources in France claim Newcastle are still regarded as Ekitike’s likeliest purchasers.

When asked directly about ongoing interest from Newcastle, Caillot said: “It’s typically the kind of environment where he could continue to grow and move on.”