The Hugo Ekitike to Newcastle United transfer saga that has dominated the headlines on Tyneside in recent months looks to be over after Reims' self-imposed transfer deadline passed over the weekend.
The French forward, 20, has been a key transfer target for Newcastle in recent months with a deal agreed between the club and Reims earlier this summer. Personal terms with the player proved to be the sticking point as Ekitike pondered other options from across the continent.
Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot recently made it clear that any player with an accepted transfer offer must have decided their future by July 10. In an interview with local media he indicated players such Ekitike, Wout Faes and Predrag Rajkovic, who have all had offers accepted for their services, must have made a final decision before the club's pre-season trip to Belgium on that date.
