Newcastle United's pursuit of Hugo Ekitike is quickly becoming one of the longest transfer sagas in recent times. With recent reports stating the Magpies were ready to pull out of the deal, it would come as no surprise given their six month pursuit of the Reims striker.
But as one door closes, at least according to reports, another opens. Eddie Howe's side have been linked with a move for 22-year-old OGC Nice forward Amine Gouiri.
Like Ekitike, the striker is an unknown to the majority of Newcastle fans, but for players of the well known football game Football Manager, Gouiri is quite the talent. Of course, there are plenty of stipulations comparing a players future seasons while using a video game, but the organisation has developed quite the knack of finding stars for the future.
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Gouiri regularly goes on to become a member of the French senior squad and has a trophy laden career. But what do his real world stats show about his development?
The 5ft 11in striker came through the youth system at Lyon, playing 33 times for their B side, scoring 14 goals before earning a call up to their senior side. He would make ten appearances for Les Gones between 2017 and 2020.
Gouiri was once named among the brightest talents in European football, having finished top scorer at the 2017 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, scoring 7 goals. He then represented France at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India, scoring twice in his debut against the New Caledonia U17s, ending the tournament with five goals to his name
He couldn't quite force his way into Lyon's first team plans and made a €7 million move to Nice in 2020, signing a four-year deal with the club. Gouiri has gone from strength to strength during his time on the south coast of France, scoring 28 goals in 84 appearances in all competitions.
Still just 22, he has plenty of time to develop and could be a smart signing for the future.
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