Newcastle-linked Amine Gouiri following Karim…

Newcastle-linked Amine Gouiri following Karim Benzema's footsteps and one of France's hot prospects

Newcastle United's pursuit of Hugo Ekitike has been one of, if not the longest transfer sagas on Tyneside in recent history. It's understandable why both the Magpies hierarchy and the Toon Army are growing tired with the ongoing speculation.

Eddie Howe's side saw an approach for Ekitike accepted back in January, with the young French forward knocking them back to continue his development at Reims. That didn't deter the Magpies who approached the Ligue 1 outfit again, with talks reportedly hitting a standstill last month.

Newcastle are reportedly taking stock of their current crop of players before entering the market again later in the summer for some additional attacking options. One of those names to have been linked with the Magpies, is OGC Nice forward, Amine Gouiri.

The 22-year-old burst onto the scene as one of the most exciting prospects in French football, whilst playing for his country at the U17 European Championships. His former club Lyon touted him as the successor to Karim Benzema's throne at the Groupama Stadium.

However, he struggled for game time with Les Gones and moved to OGC Nice where he's making quite the name for himself. Chronicle Live spoke with Timothe Crepin, French journalist at 90 Football, to get an insight into why it didn't work out for Gouiri at Lyon and why he's still a potential star of the future.

What kind of player is Amine Gouiri and what attributes does he possess?

Timothe Crepin: "Gouiri is a versatile striker. He can play in all attacking positions. Even if being an out and out number 9 is complicated with his size, given he's not so big. His best position is on the left.

"He's a nice player. Fast. Efficient. Modern. He also has this liveliness that makes him a special player."

He was impressive for France u17s on the international stage, how was he viewed in France at that time?

TC: "Yes, he has always been very, very successful with the French youth teams. Since things didn't always go well in Lyon, games with the French national team were a breath of fresh air for him. In France, we talked about it, but not to the point either to say that it was a phenomenon."

Amine Gouiri celebrates scoring a goal during the FIFA U-20 World Cup match between France and USA on June 4, 2019 (PressFocus/MB Media/Getty Images)

He couldn't break into the Lyon side, why was that?

TC: "His time in Lyon was tormented. Gouiri was born a few kilometres from Lyon and he wanted to follow in the footsteps of Karim Benzema. In Lyon, it was said that he could be the future Benzema.

"But injuries prevented him from having the right trajectory. during his breakthrough into the first team, he suffered a serious knee injury. This delayed his progress.

"Then, some Lyon officials have always doubted his ability to avoid injuries and reach a good level. Then, when he was in the first team, he had very few chances. So he wanted to leave, reluctantly."

Why did he move to Nice and how has he performed since?

TC: "He understood that he could not have a starting position in Lyon. So he left. It's been one of Lyon's three most incomprehensible decisions in the last ten years.

"It was obvious that Gouiri was going to become a good player! It just had to be put in the right conditions. Lyon did not want to wait for this. And, in addition, Lyon only sold Gouiri 7 million euros to Lyon with a bonus!

"Since then, of course, Gouiri has been playing very regularly and he has been able to perform very well. No surprises!"

Is he still viewed as a talent for the future?

TC: "Yes, of course. It will be too complicated for him to be at the World Cup, but he will then be the replacement for the France team. If everything goes well, it's undeniable.

"He needs to find consistency over a whole season. But he has everything to be one of the next big players in the France team."