‘No future for him’: Journalist says £30m forward could now be sold on the cheap, after links with Everton

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Hugo Ekitike looks to be on his way out of Paris Saint-Germain in January and could be available on the cheap.

That’s according to journalist Jonathan Johnson, who has reported his future with the French giants looks ‘very bleak’ after he was dropped from the squad.

Ekitike joined PSG on loan from Reims in 2022 and were obliged to cough up €35 million (£30.2m) to sign him permanently in the summer. However, the club clearly weren’t interested in keeping him and quickly made him surplus to requirements, putting a number of sides on high alert.

Everton were one club heavily linked with the forward and reports claimed they were still in contact with him weeks after the transfer window shut. The likes of Brentford, Crystal Palace and West Ham were also interested in Ekitike, but he ended up staying in Paris.

Ekitike featured from the bench in a 0-0 stalemate against Lorient in August before making the bench for the following two games, however he has been completely left out of the squad ever since.

PSG will now look to move him on in the January transfer window and could be forced to accept a significant hit on the hefty fee they paid for him.

Writing for Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, Johnson said: “I can confirm that Hugo Ekitike is no longer wanted at PSG following transfer rumours about his situation and a possible move to the Premier League.

“Ekitike has now been dropped from the squad, he’s not on PSG’s list for the Champions League, so his future at the Parc des Princes looks very bleak. There have been links with Everton as well, but I think interest from Newcastle is in the past now. 

“Still, I certainly expect Ekitike to be on the move this winter because there’s no future for him in Paris. It’s going to be very difficult for PSG to get the kind of money back that they paid for him. PSG already knew they were over-paying for the player because the fee was agreed before his initial loan move, during which he lost massive value. They tried to get out of this deal but they were obliged to complete it.

“Realistically, PSG would now be lucky to get a paid loan with a view to a permanent transfer for around €20m, if everything were to go well, but I think it’s clear they’re going to have to accept a significant hit on this transfer, unless he can go out on loan and really impress and build up some value.”

Hugo Ekitike is clearly a huge talent and was wanted by a number of top clubs prior to his move to PSG. However, the Ligue 1 outfit clearly have too much attacking depth to give him the opportunities he needs.

Ekitike to Everton?

A €20m fee (£17.3m) would be a huge bargain for whoever wants to sign him in January, though any potential move for Ekitike so soon would likely depend on Everton’s takeover.

A loan move would also be a decent option for the Toffees, though PSG seem to be very impatient with the 21-year-old’s situation and could look to get him out of the door as soon as possible due to their very strained relationship.

It is undoubtedly a transfer that Everton will look into as we approach the winter transfer window, but whether it will happen is a whole different story.