Newcastle United have been on the receiving end of numerous snubs since the transfer window opened, with one coming in the form of priority Manchester United target Bryan Mbeumo.
In fairness, the Red Devils have also endured their share of setbacks this summer after both Liam Delap and Viktor Gyokeres opted against Old Trafford moves in favour of joining Chelsea and Arsenal, respectively.
That hasn’t been the case with Mbeumo, though. He informed his suitors of his desire to join United back at the start of June, and has refused to even enter negotiations with any other club – despite each of them (Arsenal, Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur) offering him the opportunity to play Champions League football for the first time in his career throughout 2025/2026.
Nonetheless, that deal, remarkably, is still yet to be finalised, leaving United practically stagnant in the market until they know they have Mbeumo through the door.
Their inactivity will allow other sides to pounce in pursuit of their other targets, which has now proven to be the case with Hugo Ekitike.
United were first linked with the Eintracht Frankfurt starlet back in March ahead of what fans anticipated would be a practical summer window. Then, when Ruben Amorim’s men fell to a gutting 1-0 defeat in the Europa League final, it became clear INEOS would be working on a limited budget.
As a result, the Reds have yet to materialise their interest in Ekitike, who told the Bundesliga outfit in the closing stages of the 2024/2025 campaign that he wants to leave to embark on a new venture -although that can only happen if his £85 million valuation is met.
Fabrizio Romano has now confirmed that the Magpies – fresh off the back of agreeing a £55m deal for Carrington graduate Anthony Elanga – have joined United, Chelsea and Liverpool in the race for the ‘special’ 23-year-old, who has set his sights on a move to the Premier League.
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