Over the course of the summer transfer window, following attempts last January, Newcastle United were still interested in signing Hugo Ekitike from Stade de Reims.
The player, down his end, wanted to stay in France, with Paris Saint-Germain eventually coming forward to sign him on a loan with a quasi-obligatory purchase clause, which will be triggered once the season is over.
This was a deal that suited all parties, and the player eventually snubbed the chance to work with Eddie Howe at Newcastle, who are currently second in the Premier League, albeit having played two games more than Manchester City.
That decision, to date, hasn’t paid off for Hugo Ekitike, as the young forward has barely played under Christophe Galtier, blocked by the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Neymar and Lionel Messi in the French capital.
He replied: “No, I know why I came here. Of course, when you arrive in a club like this, there’s a lot of expectations. People expect performances, and if they don’t come, people will obviously ask questions.
“I play in a role where I’m always going to be questioned, because I came with a big transfer fee. I need to assume that, and that’s what I’m doing. It’s not a problem. If I play badly, I’ll be the first to admit it, and if I play well, I’ll be there too, and I will continue to be good.”
Following his move from Reims to Paris Saint-Germain, the 20-year-old has only played 273 minutes of football, spread over 12 appearances in all competitions, scoring one goal and assisting another two.
