Why Newcastle United want Hugo Ekitike AND how he would fit alongside Alexander Isak – Report | OneFootball

A new report has detailed – Why Newcastle United want Hugo Ekitike AND how he would fit alongside Alexander Isak.

Some excellent analysis (see below) from The Athletic.

Great detailed analysis on Hugo Ekitike, plus of course how he can play WITH Alexander Isak, NOT instead of.

As has now been universally reported, Newcastle United in talks with Eintracht Frankfurt to do a deal.

Hugo Ekitike a rising star in European football and at 23 years old, perfectly fitting the profile of an Eddie Howe NUFC signing with his best years still ahead of him.

So what will Newcastle United be buying, if/when they reach agreement with the striker and his Bundesliga club?

Sebastian Stafford-Bloor writing for The Athletic – 15 July 2025:

‘Why Newcastle want Hugo Ekitike and how he could fit in alongside Alexander Isak

Hugo Eikitike is not just a goalscorer. He is a forward of great breadth and alluring technique and it’s that combination, in concert with a rare craft, that makes him worth what Newcastle United are seemingly willing to pay to sign him from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Ekitike is also not the finished article. As varied as his attributes are, they all require refinement.

He is not the best finisher, yet. He does not always make the very best decisions, yet. There are times, too, when he can seem almost too skilful and be too ambitious with the ball at his feet.

The data captures all of this. It describes an unfinished player, still learning, and that is both a fair characterisation and something to bear in mind. But since arriving in Germany in January 2024, initially on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, he has been evolving at a steady pace, introducing new elements to his game and becoming more and more dangerous.’

‘If Newcastle sign him, what would they be getting?

A 6ft 3in (190cm) forward and one of the quickest players in the Bundesliga, Ekitike is extremely dangerous on the counter-attack — a goal against Tottenham Hotspur in last season’s Europa League demonstrated that threat — and difficult to contain in open space and in crowded penalty boxes. For a slender forward, he is surprisingly effective in the air.

Little dashes of skill. Stepovers, roulettes, artful little feints. Ekitike can play, that much is clear.’

‘But can he play with Aleksander Isak?

If Newcastle are successful in their pursuit, that would be the plan, with the club saying Isak is not for sale — and there’s every reason to believe that it could be a successful combination.

Isak, as a more orthodox No 9, is not the same player as Marmoush, but he’s smart, quick and instinctive, possessing the subtlety that Ekitike seems to enjoy working with…at 23 and with fewer than 150 top-flight appearances to his name in senior football, Ekitike is still a developing player.

Frankfurt are a transition team, who rarely face a deep block. He must learn how to cope with that. His chance conversion must also improve and he will need to become fiercer without the ball.’

‘To fully realise his potential, he will have to gain all the necessary experience and, ultimately, be as well coached as he has been in Frankfurt, by Dino Toppmoller.

Is that Eddie Howe? Perhaps. Newcastle are still some way from reaching an agreement for Ekitike. But whichever team does strike that deal will be getting a mighty prospect.’