Newcastle United have reportedly registered interest in Hellas Verona attacker Antonin Barak, who is set to cost around €20 million.
According to L’Arena, as relayed by Inside Futbol, Newcastle United have joined the race to sign 27-year-old attacking midfielder Antonin Barak from Serie A outfit Hellas Veona. The Premier League outfit are hard at work to attract star players during the final week of the winter transfer window.
It appears Barak has emerged as one of the top targets as Eddie Howe looks to upgrade his attack. Newcastle and West Ham United were linked with a move for the attacker in the summer transfer window, with Hellas Verona slapping a €20 million price tag on the 37-year-old.
However, after being taken over by the Saudi Arabia-backed Public Investment Fund (PIF), Newcastle United are prepared to meet the €20 million asking price in an attempt to lure the Czech international to Tyneside this week. They are even expected to offer additional fees through performance-related add-ons in order to convince the Serie A outfit.
Formerly of Udinese, Barak has enjoyed immense success since his move to Hellas Verona in 2020. In 56 competitive matches, he has scored 15 goals while bagging eight assists. Fourteen of his goal involvements have come in the new season, with the attacker recently bagging a hat-trick and an assist in the recent 4-2 win over Sassuolo in the Serie A.
Barak’s performances have not gone unnoticed, with Newcastle United among the clubs gunning for his services. As mentioned earlier, the Premier League outfit are keen on reinforcing their attacking unit in an attempt to stave off relegation during the second half of the campaign.
The Magpies have brought in Chris Wood as a direct replacement for the injured Callum Wilson. But it is apparent that the team lacks fuel in the creative department, despite the addition of Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid.
Newcastle United are hoping to change that by joining the race to sign Bryan Gil. But the Tottenham youngster could fancy a return to Spain rather than remaining in England. As such, Howe has set his sights on Barak, whose aggression and versatility in the final third could go a long way towards adding another dimension to the club’s offensive department.
