Would Ekitike Partner Isak At Newcastle Or Be His Replacement?

It is not often supporters are worried by rumours their nine mightiness beryllium astir to break their transportation record.

But that is what is happening among immoderate Newcastle United fans, pinch nan Magpies moving for Eintracht Frankfurt guardant Hugo Ekitike.

Newcastle's first bid of £70m has been turned down by nan Bundesliga nine arsenic nan Magpies activity to work together what would beryllium a club-record woody to onshore nan coveted young forward.

Premier League champions Liverpool besides successful nan marketplace for a cardinal striker and known to person patient liking successful Newcastle's Alexander Isak, it is inevitable immoderate are drafting a definite conclusion.

BBC Sport understands nan Premier League champions person made a move towards a woody for nan Sweden striker successful caller days. They person besides explored nan parameters for different centre-forward targets.

According to sources, it is believed a package to motion Isak could costs up to £130m - and nan Magpies person been patient successful their stance that their superstar striker is not for sale.

Those who cognize Newcastle judge they are trying to build a multi-layered onslaught tin of quickly switching tactics.

Those who cognize Ekitike, who has besides been linked pinch Liverpool, cognize him arsenic a versatile guardant tin of scoring from each sorts of positions.

Newcastle person maintained passim nan summertime that their apical players - and Isak is surely 1 of those - are not disposable for transfer.

So would Ekitike beryllium a partner for Isak - aliases is location is simply a threat he could beryllium his replacement?

Isak, 25, joined Newcastle from Real Sociedad successful 2022 for £63m.

He is their grounds acquisition and Newcastle supporters will show you he has been worthy each penny.

Over nan past 3 seasons he has scored 54 convention goals and that onslaught complaint has led to him regularly been linked pinch a move elsewhere.

During nan 2nd half of past play Ekitike, for illustration Isak, played arsenic a lone striker. The 23-year-old scored 15 goals and contributed 8 assists during nan run arsenic Frankfurt vanished 3rd successful nan Bundesliga.

So, 2 players who play successful a very akin measurement and a squad that has mostly played pinch conscionable 1 cardinal striker nether Eddie Howe. Where could nan Frenchman fresh in?

"It's not a fixed that Ekitike will play 2nd fiddle to Isak - successful truth location is simply a dream that they could play together," believes BBC Newcastle's Matthew Raisbeck.

"Newcastle for illustration versatility. They tried to motion Chelsea's Joao Pedro this summer, who is different versatile striker.

"I don't expect them to move statement for nan first crippled of nan season, but this move would let a greater scope to alteration strategies passim nan game.

"The connection is still that Isak is not for sale. Newcastle are wished to support him and don't request to waste for financial reasons.

"They are successful nan Champions League adjacent play and want to beryllium competitory successful nan convention and each nan cups so, moreover earlier Callum Wilson left, they were ever going to request different striker.

"Ekitike has nan floor plan they want and allows nan squad to beryllium truthful overmuch much elastic tactically.

"Newcastle person value but often astatine times past play lacked depth. This signing ticks some of those boxes."

Signing Ekitike could springiness Newcastle a pre-season action conundrum.

The statistic do propose Isak and Ekitike person a batch of overlap successful their play and person nan aforesaid champion position - playing arsenic a lone striker.

Isak played 98% of his Premier League minutes past play arsenic a cardinal striker, only concisely featuring connected nan near of a beforehand three.

His cardinal domiciled successful Newcastle's onslaught is surely not to beryllium messed with, fixed a return of 23 goals successful 34 games?

However, a akin statement could beryllium made for Ekitike. He scored 15 convention goals successful 31 starts for Frankfurt past play and played arsenic a striker 95% of nan time.

Newcastle are besides well-stocked successful wide areas, pinch Anthony Gordon, Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy and caller £55m signing Anthony Elanga.

Touch maps for some forwards show they stock a inclination to get connected nan shot successful nan wrong near channel, but pinch Ekitike roaming much freely and a small deeper.

This possibly offers encouragement to those who judge they tin play alongside each other, pinch Ekitite astatine times dropping backmost to nexus pinch nan midfielders.

He is simply a supplier arsenic good arsenic a scorer, ranking successful nan apical 6% among forwards for creating chances successful past season's Bundesliga.

Newcastle's liking successful Ekitike goes backmost to January 2021, nan first transportation model pinch their Saudi Arabian owners.

Back past they were incapable to make a woody activity and successful nan summertime they yet chose Isak instead.

But nan admiration has remained for a subordinate who started astatine Reims and near for Paris St-Germain successful 2023 but grounded to make an effect and had a spell connected indebtedness astatine Frankfurt earlier joining nan German nine permanently past summer.

"His tactical knowing is 1 of his awesome strengths," German shot writer Constantin Eckner told BBC Sport.

"He served arsenic a lone striker arsenic good arsenic portion of a two-striker set-up nether Frankfurt head Dino Toppmoller.

"During nan first half of past season, Ekitike and Omar Marmoush formed a fearsome onslaught pairing which was torn isolated erstwhile Manchester City signed Marmoush for £63m successful January.

"Subsequently, Frankfurt did not get a replacement for Marmoush and alternatively changed nan tactical set-up, pinch Ekitike nan lone striker.

"He is versatile and not conscionable a striker that feels astatine location wrong nan box. Ekitike mightiness not beryllium nan astir move player, but he tin get past defenders pinch smart moves."

Eckner besides told BBC Sport that Frankfurt's sporting head Markus Krosche has stated nan nine will not fto Ekitike spell for little than £86m.

He added: "It seems arsenic if nan Bundesliga broadside are good pinch trading yet different apical subordinate to a Premier League club.

"Their existent exemplary is that they find these gems, effort to create them and past money their adjacent signings done nan money they generate."