Newcastle United have encountered difficulties in landing their top targets on the continent so far this summer but Eddie Howe has already been able to bring in the Premier League experience he desired.
Newcastle were quick to resurrect moves for Stade de Reims striker Hugo Ekitike and Lille defender Sven Botman before the window even officially opened just two weeks ago. However, like in January, these deals have been tricky to pull off.
Although an agreement was reached with Reims, Ekitike's agent, Karl Mwalako Buchmann, appears to be keeping his client's options open. On the flipside, while Botman was originally open to a move to Newcastle, reaching an agreement with Lille has been challenging.
