West Ham United and Crystal Palace both make late offers for 11th hour Hugo Ekitike deal as final PSG decision emerges
Hugo Ekitike won’t be leaving Paris Saint-Germain after all despite late offers from both West Ham and Crystal Palace, according to Fabrice Hawkins.
The RMC Sport journalist reported via Twitter late on deadline day (1 September) the two Premier League clubs had tried to sign the striker on loan but were met with a PSG “refusal” as the French giants wanted to sell.
The 21-year-old’s potential move suddenly became live again late on Friday after the Ligue 1 side made a breakthrough on signing Randal Kolo Muani from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Crystal Palace were thought to be the late favourites, but despite a report the day earlier that the Irons were prepared to prepared to spend big money on the young forward it looks like nobody will be getting him.
False alarm
On the basis that West Ham liked Ekitike a lot it would have arguably been the perfect end to the transfer window to secure a last-gasp deal, especially with three points in the bag from the trip to Luton.
But PSG look like they are going to end up with both the youngster and his compatriot Kolo Muani from the Bundesliga.
Jarrod Bowen scored again at Kenilworth Road so if he and Michail Antonio can continue with the sort of form that drove the Irons forward two seasons ago, and new arrival Mohammed Kudus can chip in, West Ham should be ok.
There is a gap up front left by Gianluca Scamacca and it would have provided an answer for the future if Ekitike came in, assuming he adapted better than the Italian.
Antonio and Danny Ings are both into their 30s and the latter hasn’t produced to the level he would have hoped since he arrived from Aston Villa.
Both were linked with exits this summer but will now stay, and it looks like the West Ham window has probably finished unless there is some extremely late drama.
In other West Ham, the club could still sign another player past the deadline after a contract update on deadline day.