Can they afford him? What would the deal mean for Isak? Our reporters dissect the news Newcastle are in talks to sign the French forward

Man Utd are reported to have made a 'serious' 11th hour bid to gazump Newcastle for Hugo Ekitike - and a report claims INEOS may have they key to a deal.

Newcastle tried and failed to sign Hugo Ekitike in 2022 and have seen a new club-record £70m bid turned down this week; the Magpies want Ekitike to play alongside Alexander Isak; Newcastle have held t

Newcastle submitted an initial £69.5million bid for Ekitike which represents a club-record fee. The Magpies’ current record transfer is the £63million paid to Real Sociedad for Alexander Isak in 2022 but it appears they are willing to break it to land Ekitike.

Eyebrows were raised last week when Newcastle were named among the suitors for Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike. The club’s longstanding interest in the Frenchman makes the link unsurprising, but it still caught many off guard given the size of the fee it would take to sign the 23-year-old.