Newcastle United set to enter battle with PSG and Serie A giants for French prospect - Reports

Newcastle are leading the race for Reims striker Hugo Ekitike ahead of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Inter Milan and AC Milan, according to reports.

The Magpies are set for a summer spending spree following their well-publicized takeover by a Saudi consortium in October of 2021.

Having already signed the likes of Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimaraes in January, Newcastle are reportedly in the market for a new centre-forward to compete with Callum Wilson and Chris Wood.

Foot Mercato has reported that Reims won't accept any offer lower than €20 million for Ekitike. The Toon Army had agreed to a deal of €35 million during the winter window but the player's value has since changed.

The 19-year-old forward has netted 11 times in his 26 appearances this term but a hamstring injury ruled him out for much of the second half of the season.

Despite missing plenty of first-team action, Reims believes the teenager's value has increased due to increased demand for him from some of Europe's biggest clubs, including Ligue 1 rivals PSG.

The report claims that Newcastle and PSG will battle it out for the forward's signature this summer, as the two Milan sides cannot compete against the mega-rich clubs. The forward already has two caps for France U20 and has just over two years left on his current deal with the Ligue 1 club.

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Eddie Howe makes Newcastle transfer declaration as they compete with PSG for big-name players

Following a respectable 11th place Premier League finish, the English boss is already looking forward to taking charge of the Tyneside club for his first full season. However, he has insisted that the club's targets will remain private, as the 44-year-old told The Chronicle:

"I want my squad to be confident, ambitious. They have to believe in big things and we have to set targets internally.

"I’d rather it stay internal than external [transfer targets] because we have to also manage the expectation around the team. We don’t want them to play under an unnecessary burden and an unnecessary pressure that actually hampers our performance. Creating that mix is important but I’d much prefer to keep things in-house."

According to The Mail, the Magpies' shopping list this summer includes a striker, left-back, right-winger, centre-back and a midfielder. There is a £15 million option to keep Aston Villa's Matt Targett at St. James' Park following a successful loan spell in the second half of the campaign.

The report also claims that up to 14 players could be sold this summer. This could raise funds for the likes of Ekitike and highly-rated Lille defender Sven Botman.