Newcastle's Wild Dream of Pairing Isak and Ekitike

NEWCASTLE, TUESDAY — Newcastle United appears to be greedy in the player transfer window this summer. Not content with having a world-class striker like Alexander Isak, they intend to bring in the talented young striker, Hugo Ekitike, from Eintrach Frankfurt. This transfer move also showcases Newcastle's wild ambitions.

Newcastle has begun to move quickly in the transfer market ahead of the new season. After acquiring winger Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest, they are looking to add more firepower to their attacking line. The name Ekitike, a 23-year-old striker, has suddenly emerged amid rumors of a move to Liverpool and Manchester United.

According to The Athletic, on Tuesday (15/7/2025), Newcastle made the most significant move among its competitors. They were willing to pay over 75 million euros for the former U-21 French national football team player. The last time they spent such an amount, Newcastle set a transfer record with the purchase of Isak (70 million euros).

Ekitike is currently one of the most sought-after young strikers. He successfully showcased his best potential with Frankfurt last season, contributing 22 goals across all competitions. This significant contribution helped Frankfurt finish in third place in the German League and qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

"We are very pleased with Hugo's development. He has made a drastic improvement in just one year. He already has an impressive number of goals and has the potential to become one of the best strikers in Europe," said Sporting's Sports Director Markus Krosche as quoted by the official website of the German League.

Interestingly, Ekitike's profile is similar to Isak's. They are both slender and tall strikers who can move flexibly, not just waiting for the ball in the penalty area. They can retrieve the ball to the midfield or attack from the wings. The dribbling ability, running speed, and technical skills of both players are above the average for a "Number 9" striker.

Questions arise as to why Ekitike was brought in when Isak is already present. This question leads to speculation regarding a wild answer from Newcastle's side. Manager Eddie Howe may pair them together in the attacking line. Newcastle could revert to the classic 4-4-2 formation that is familiar to Howe.

Howe indeed more frequently employs the 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 formation during his time at Newcastle. However, the 4-4-2 formation has become associated with him since his coaching days at Bournemouth. Howe often pairs strikers Callum Wilson and Dominic Solanke. This formation was also experimented with at the beginning of his tenure at Newcastle.

The presence of two dynamic forwards greatly supports Newcastle's character as a team that is straightforward in transition. They are one of the best attacking teams, even though they are not dominant in ball possession. Manchester City manager Josep "Pep" Guardiola once stated that Newcastle brings a new version of modern football.

It is not a coincidence that Ekitike is also accustomed to playing in a 4-4-2 formation. He has shone this season thanks to his partnership with striker Omar Marmoush. Ekitike was only trusted as a sole striker after Marmoush's departure to Manchester City in the January transfer window.

They said I was too far from my attacking position. I've fixed that. - Hugo Ekitike -

The partnership of Ekitike and Marmoush in a 4-4-2 formation made Frankfurt unstoppable in transition. According to The Athletic, Frankfurt finished last season with an expected goals (xG) score of 11.4. This was the highest in Europe's four major leagues, surpassing Liverpool's 11.2 xG, which is renowned for its lethal transition performance.

Ekitike stated that he has learned a lot from his experiences in the last season. "They say I was too far from the position I should be in as a striker. I have improved on that. I understand the pressure to always score goals. That makes me more straightforward and always facing the opponent's goal," he said last March.

The final resolution is the only aspect that is concerning about Ekitike. He is not very fierce in front of the goal, managing to produce only 18 goals in the league from a total of 22.3 xG. In comparison, Isak produced 23 goals in the Premier League last season from just 20.4 xG.

Nevertheless, the final resolution of Ekitike is believed to improve over time. A similar experience was encountered by Isak, who came from Real Sociedad at the age of 22. Prior to his transfer, Isak had only scored 6 goals from 32 league matches with Sociedad.

It is hard to imagine Newcastle bringing in Ekitike at an exorbitant price just to serve as a backup. The wild dream of pairing Ekitike with Isak seems more realistic. For Newcastle, the worst-case scenario of that transfer is that Ekitike is brought in to facilitate the sale of Isak to another club at a fantastic price. (AP/REUTERS)