An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United's interest in Amine Gouiri in the summer transfer window...

What's the talk?

According to i News, the Ligue 1 attacker is currently being considered as an alternative to Hugo Ekitike after the Magpies' deal for the Reims forward hit a stumbling block.

The report claims that his agents are causing the move to stutter because of their demands and Gouiri - who Newcastle scouted last term - is a player to whom they may turn alongside Chelsea's Armando Broja.

It has previously been reported that the gem is valued at £30m by Nice, although it remains to be seen whether or not the Premier League club are going to firm up their interest as PIF plot a potential swoop for him.

Better than Ekitike

By securing a deal to sign Gouiri, Newcastle can land a better player than initial target Ekitike for the 2022/23 campaign.

In terms of Newcastle's squad in the immediate future, the Nice maestro would be a better signing, as he is two years older than the Reims youngster and has more experience under his belt.

In the 2020/21 season, Gouiri produced 12 goals and seven assists in 31 starts as he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.15. The phenomenon created a whopping 11 'big chances' for his team-mates and also made 1.5 key passes per game in the French top flight.

He also caught the eye throughout the 2021/22 campaign, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig previously dubbing him "wonderful" and a "joy to watch".

The 22-year-old ended the season with 10 goals and nine assists in 32 league starts, creating 12 'big chances' for his team-mates as he showcased his ability to score and set up goals on a regular basis.

Meanwhile, Ekitike has only started 15 league games in his career. In that time, he has racked up an impressive 10 goals and three assists, creating three 'big chances' for his team-mates throughout the campaign.

Whilst these statistics suggest that the Reims starlet has quality and potential, Gouiri has shown that he is better at creating chances for others and has proven that he can be a consistent scorer over a longer period of time.

Therefore, the Magpies would be better off in the short-term by signing him instead of Ekitike, as the Nice marksman would probably make a bigger impact in the Premier League next season, based on the players' respective statistics.

AND in other news, PIF could land Burn 2.0 as Newcastle now plot bid for "exceptional" £22m talent...