Newcastle United have reportedly made the first move in their quest to sign Darwin Nunez, with the Magpies submitting a €60 million bid.
According to Foot Mercato, Newcastle United have submitted a €60 million offer to sign Darwin Nunez in the summer. The Magpies are one of many clubs interested in the services of the SL Benfica forward, who has become one of the rising stars in European football this season.
The likes of Manchester United, PSG and Chelsea are said to be closely monitoring the progress of Nunez, with many expecting him to join a bigger club in the summer. But it is Newcastle United who have made the first move to sign the Uruguayan by offering up to €60 million.
The Magpies are in the market for a new forward this summer as they look to add more quality to their goalscoring department. Chris Wood was brought in from Burnley to deputise for the injured Callum Wilson. But the New Zealander has scored only two goals in 12 matches for Newcastle United, failing to offer the x-factor in front of goal.
Wood’s lack of productivity upfront has compelled Eddie Howe to scout a new forward in the summer. Newcastle United have been monitoring the progress of Hugo Ekitike for quite some time now. They were even linked with a move for the emerging forward in January and are expected to re-enter the market for the youngster after the end of the season.
In Darwin Nunez, though, Howe could find himself a far more experienced forward. With 46 goals in 81 competitive appearances for Benfica, the youngster has already proved himself at the highest level of football, notably starring in the Champions League wins over Barcelona and Ajax. He even scored twice against Liverpool, even though Benfica were eliminated by a 6-4 aggregate scoreline.
Nunez’s blazing performances have not gone unnoticed, with Newcastle United making him one of their priority targets in the summer. Howe is convinced the Uruguayan international can prove to be the X-factor in the Newcastle United attack next term, building a formidable partnership alongside Allan Saint-Maximin and co.
However, it remains to be seen whether SL Benfica are open to considering Newcastle’s €60 million approach. The Portuguese giants certainly rate the attacker much higher and are likely to play the waiting game, hoping for someone like PSG to come with a far more lucrative offer.
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It will also be interesting to see if Nunez opts for a project like Newcastle United instead of joining a club that could play in Europe next season, like Chelsea and Manchester United. While Chelsea might be restricted in the market this coming summer, Manchester United will likely go all guns blazing for Nunez, especially with the club desperately searching for goals.
