Real Madrid were left shorthanded when it comes to Kylian Mbappe, they missed the chance to get involved in the whole back and forth revolving Erling Haaland, Liverpool kidnapped Darwin Nunez, Lewandowski agreed to move to Barcelona, Lukaku returns to Inter, Kane is untouchable at Tottenham… And so Los Blancos came to a situation where they could not find a striker who would at first be a substitute to Benzema and eventually replace him completely.At least that’s how it looked like until last night as L’Equipe reported that Real Madrid want French striker Hugo Ekitike from Reims. He is a guy who turned 20 a few days ago, and last season he was the most efficient teenager among strikers in the “top five leagues”. And that was his first proper season among the seniors.Thu 03:30: (1.99) Atletico Mineiro (3.30) Flamengo (3.80)In January, Newcastle offered a lot of money to bring him, and Reims accepted, but the player did not think that was the best solution at that moment. Newcastle returned to the negotiating table this summer as well, offering 36 million euros fixed and another 10 million through bonuses that they reluctantly accepted in Reims because the player has only two more years left on his contract and this is the last moment to sell Ekitike for a good price.The French club gave Newcastle the green light to negotiate with the player about his conditions, but then everything dragged on… Ekitike and his representatives asked for more time before giving a final answer. It was as if they were waiting for something else… And it seems that they had a reason for that delay.L’Equipe reports that Real invited Ekitike’s agent to negotiations and that he had been in Madrid in the previous days. The young Frenchman is the profile of the striker Real Madrid are looking for instead of Luka Jovic and Mariano Diaz for Benzema’s first alternative. 190 centimeters tall and fast. Uses both feet more than well. He is technically at a high level, he is equally useful in transition as well as in positional attack when he can keep the ball and build the game. Just the type of striker Real Madrid need…Al Khelaifi: It’s over with glitter and spotlights in Paris; Zidane was not an option, we are negotiating with NiceNegotiations are in the initial phase, the Royal Club first wants to put together a complete picture of the player, but considering the recent signings they brought from the French market (Camavinga and Tchouameni), it is clear that the Madridians know a lot about Ekitike and are satisfied with what is offered. It is expected that the people of Madrid will take concrete steps and prepare a formal offer to Reims. Money should not be a problem and they can easily equal Newcastle’s offer. Reims don’t care, but the player certainly does.🚨 PSG, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have all shown an interest in signing Hugo Ekitike. 🇫🇷 Newcastle have agreed a fee with Reims for €36M + €10M in add ons but the player and his representatives are stalling. ⏳(Source: @lequipe) pic.twitter.com/W7thxmZQAX— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) June 21, 2022 L’Equipe adds that two more great clubs are inquiring about Ekitike: Bayern and PSG. The Bavarians are left without Lewandowski and are in a similar situation as Real in terms of the weak supply of attackers on the market. They wanted Sebastian Haller from Ajax, but Borussia were faster and he is one step away from signing for the club from Dortmund.Also, the new director of Paris Saint-Germain, Luis Campos, is delighted with Ekitike’s potential and recommended him to club president Al Khelaifi, but there are many obstacles. PSG should first bring in a coach, then get rid of the many players who are redundant, and only then go after reinforcements. Time is not their ally…Newcastle are still waiting, but the question is how much more patience they will have before turning to some other options.French football continues to produce gems around which rich European clubs are fighting. Ekitike is the last of the bunch…
