Newcastle United are ready to intensify their £70 million pursuit of Dusan Vlahovic after scouting the 21-year-old over the recent international break.
According to The Sun, Newcastle United are prepared to step up their efforts to sign Serbian sensation Dusan Vlahovic.
Many of Europe’s top clubs have been linked with the Serbian international in recent weeks, including the elites in Manchester City, Juventus, and Arsenal. However, under their new cash-rich Saudi Arabia-based ownership, the Magpies hope to beat off the stiff competition to bring in the Serbian hitman.
Newcastle had sent their chief scouts to watch the much-coveted player live in action during the international break, where he helped his nation beat Portugal to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Fiorentina are understood to be willing to open talks to sell their star man if a reasonable transfer fee can be agreed upon, owing to his existing contract expiring in the summer of 2023 and his refusal to sign new terms turning down lucrative offers from the Florence-based outfit.
The Serie A club are expected to demand a big outlay in transfer fees, but the report adds that rumours of a fee exceeding £70 million are exaggerated, according to insiders. And that exorbitant price tag will certainly not pose a problem for Newcastle’s affluent owners.
Eddie Howe’s reign as the Magpies’ boss began with an entertaining 3-3 draw against Brentford. The result means Newcastle now sit rock-bottom in the Premier League, after Norwich picked up a crucial win on Saturday. The Newcastle hierarchy are expected to back their manager in the transfer market in their attempt to avoid relegation.
The report claims that Newcastle will be scouring for two full-backs, a centre-half, a midfielder and a striker when the market reopens in just over a month. However, Newcastle will find it difficult to operate on English shores due to a huge backlash from their Premier League rivals. Hence, they are on high alert for talents in overseas leagues. They also know that they will have to pay bloated asking prices to secure their targets.
Newcastle are indeed in desperate need of a quality striking option. Callum Wilson is their first-choice striker to lead the frontline, but he has a history with injuries in recent seasons. Joelinton’s skills are better suited to a wider role than the heavy task of being a Number 9, while Dwight Gayle, at 32, is hardly a long-term option.
Signing someone of Vlahovic’s quality and potential would represent fantastic business and could be a statement buy, as he is one of the most highly sought-after strikers in Europe. His excellent start to the campaign continues, as a brace in Saturday’s 4-3 triumph over AC Milan means he has already scored 10 league goals, building on his record of 21 goals from 37 Serie A games in the last season.
The Serb will not only offer his poaching skills but his exceptional work-ethic means he can also form a two-man strike force alongside Wilson. While it would be hard to convince Vlahovic to switch to Tyneside, especially as they are in relegation muddle, it will be interesting to see what happens if the Magpies decide to break the bank to acquire the Serbian attacker’s services.
