Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed the arrival of young striker Hugo Ekitike from Stade Reims on a season-long loan.
The 20-year-old was close to joining Newcastle United both in January and earlier in the summer, but talks ultimately collapsed and PSG quickly swooped in to get a deal over the line.
Ekitike has now moved to Parc des Princes on a 12-month loan which also includes an option for the Ligue 1 champions to make his signing permanent.
“It’s a choice made by my heart,” Ekitike said of his move to PSG. “I’m French too, it’s the club of my country.
“And then it’s a club where the greatest players evolve, where there are quality and experienced staff, as well as a desire to win every title available. There is everything here for me to progress. All the ingredients are there, so it’s a logical choice for me to be here.
“Finally, I have family in the Paris region, and I have always followed Paris Saint-Germain. All this made my desire to join this club very natural. It’s the right choice for me to be here.”
90min understands the fee proposed by PSG is around the €30m mark, €10m less than Newcastle were prepared to pay for Ekitike’s services, but Reims agreed to the lower figure to allow Ekitike to make his dream move to Parc des Princes.