Hugo Ekitike has been tipped to become a 'top striker' and play for a 'top' club after his deadline day move to Newcastle United fell through.
That is the verdict of Stade Reims boss Oscar Garcia, who will be delighted to keep hold of the 19-year-old for at least another few months.
Newcastle actually had a big-money bid accepted for Ekitike late in the window, but the Frenchman ultimately decided to stay put to effectively reassess his options in the summer.
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It is easy to see why Newcastle pushed for the move. Although Ekitike was, originally, Reims' fourth-choice striker in pre-season, the youngster has gone on to score more goals than any other teenager in Europe's big five leagues this season, averaging a goal every 119 minutes in Ligue 1.
Garcia, who previously managed Brighton and Watford, and played alongside Ronaldo at Barcelona, feels that the poacher has 'a lot of the qualities required to become a top striker'
"Technically he is so good," Garcia told Sky Sports. "He is fast. He has to develop a little bit more physically but he is a player who, for me, can play for a top club. We have improved him. He should keep improving."
Although Jean-Pierre Caillot had acknowledged that the club had received 'very good offers' for Ekitike, the Reims' president said that the striker wanted to be 'a little more lasting in the club project' and not 'skip the stages' after only becoming a regular starter in September.
It will be interesting to see if Newcastle revisit the situation in the summer when Ekitike is likely to have further offers from other clubs on the continent.
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