Newcastle United are reportedly weighing up a fresh £45 million summer transfer swoop for Crystal Palace starlet Eberechi Eze.
According to The Sun, Newcastle United are interested in signing Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace this summer and are plotting to table a mega offer in the region of £45 million for the exciting youngster provided the Magpies can survive relegation this term.
Newcastle United ended the winter window as the biggest spenders in the English top-flight and added five new faces as they intended to avoid the drop to the Championship. It has also had the desired impact, with the team winning their last three league games and going unbeaten in five.
The Magpies went big on signing Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Lyon, signing him in a deal worth a record £43 million, including all add-ons and bonuses. However, as per the report, the Toon could again be looking to break the bank in the summer window should they stay up this season.
Eddie Howe’s side were reported to have tabled a £5 million loan bid for Crystal Palace starlet Eberechi Eze in the January transfer window, with an option to make the switch permanent for £35 million at the end of the season. As expected, Palace swiftly turned down the offer as they did not want to offload one of their better players to a rival mid-season.
However, Newcastle remain interested in Eze and are confident that they can get the deal over the line if they manage to maintain their Premier League status this season.
Eze first burst onto the scene with QPR and had his breakthrough campaign in the 2019/20 Championship season. The dazzling winger scored 14 goals and provided eight assists that season, catching the eye of several top-flight clubs. The 23-year-old earned himself a move to Crystal Palace in 2020 and enjoyed an impressive debut season, acting as chief creator of the Eagles’ attack alongside Wilfried Zaha.
The Englishman played 36 matches for the South London outfit last term, registering four goals and six assists in all competitions. The winger has just one Premier League start this season, majorly due to an Achilles injury that he picked up towards the end of last season. He was an unused substitute during their last fixture against Brentford, while summer signing Michael Olise’s rise has also provided stiff competition for the winger.
Despite their upturn in form, Newcastle United are still over-reliant on Allan Saint-Maximin to provide a spark in the final third, and the Frenchman himself lacks end product at times. With Howe aiming to transform the Magpies into a possession-based side, signing someone with the playmaking ability of Eze could be useful as it would help them break down the opposition better.
Eze has the eye to pick out a killer pass and is intelligent in opening spaces with his ball control and electric runs. The 23-year-old is under a long-term contract with Palace until 2025. However, Newcastle are expected to revisit their pursuit of Eze in summer with a £45 million offer mooted. It could be a tempting proposition for the Eagles considering it would be more than double their initial £17 million investment.
