Eddie Howe has broken Newcastle United's silence on Paris St-Germain's new striker Hugo Ekitike - and admits that the young Frenchman was a player he was eager to sign.
The Newcastle boss - speaking from United's pre-season HQ in Austria - stated that the club had made big attempts to lure the 20-year-old to Tyneside but fell short. And PSG announced they'd landed the player on loan with a purchase option at the end of the season.
Newcastle are understood to have stayed in the hunt to sign the Reims youngster until the last couple of weeks before it became evident he'd held out for the 2020 Champions League runners-up.
