Newcastle United are ready to rival West Ham United for AFCON Golden Boot winner Vincent Aboubakar, who is keen to join an English club.
According to Kick442, Vincent Aboubakar would be keen to sign for a Premier League club in the summer as Newcastle United become the latest club to show interest in the Cameroonian forward. The Magpies are prepared to rival West Ham for the AFCON star’s signature.
Recently, Aboubakar lit up the Africa Cup of Nations, scoring eight goals to take home the Golden Boot. While his nation and tournament hosts Cameroon fell short of reaching the final, the forward was a shining light, representing the Indomitable Lions in the best way possible.
While he was scoring goals, clubs from England were keeping tabs on his performances, and a few seem to have been convinced of his qualities. There have been whispers of interest from clubs such as West Ham United and Newcastle United in the forward, who could be tempted to make a move to England.
He only joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr last July, signing a deal until 2024. However, if a Premier League club makes an offer, he might be open to switching sides in the summer transfer window as Aboubakar harbours dreams of playing in England, having spent time in Portugal, Turkey and now Saudi Arabia.
West Ham looked at the striker in the January window as David Moyes searched the market for a viable forward option. The main purpose was to bring in a quality backup to Michail Antonio, who could share the burden in the Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup.
However, the Hammers ended the window without signing a forward, although Moyes could decide to look at his targets in the summer. Aboubakar certainly showed his quality during the Africa Cup of Nations, which has seemingly led the London club to ponder over making a reasonable offer in the summer.
Meanwhile, there is interest from Newcastle United, who are expected to splurge the big bucks in the summer transfer window if they survive the relegation battle. The Magpies gave a glimpse of their financial muscle in January, where they signed several high profile players and strengthened their squad.
Like the Hammers, the Magpies could be looking at Aboubakar as a quality squad option. If they are to sign a new, high profile striker in the next window, some of the current stars such as Dwight Gayle could depart, weakening their squad depth.
Aboubakar, 30, still has the agility and quickness to test himself in the Premier League. He will bring a threat off the bench for these clubs and become a very handy squad option. It remains to be seen how much Al Nassr might demand for their striker if the English clubs come knocking on their door.