Newcastle United are reportedly monitoring the situation of Lyon’s on-loan Brazilian attacker Tete ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.
According to But! Football Club, Newcastle United have sent scouts to watch the quartet of Lucas Paqueta, Ludovic Blas, Tete, and Moses Simon in action during Lyon’s final day Ligue 1 encounter against Nantes on Sunday.
The Magpies have been linked with a number of exciting names in recent weeks, from Hugo Ekitike to Rafael Leao and many more, as it is believed that the club will splash the cash in the upcoming summer transfer window in order to add genuine quality to their roster and climb the Premier League ladder in the coming seasons.
One of the names that has been extensively mentioned is that of Brazilian international Lucas Paqueta, who had a strong relationship with Newcastle playmaker Bruno Guimaraes at Lyon before the latter’s January move to St James’ Park. The 24-year-old winger even travelled to Newcastle on Tuesday to visit Brazil teammate Guimaraes, fueling further speculation.
The northeast club originally approached the Paqueta in January after Lyon accepted a £58 million bid, but the player was not convinced of a switch to Tyneside at the time. Indeed, signing someone of Paqueta’s calibre would be a coup for the Magpies, though the Brazilian may cost a fortune.
Another player on Newcastle United’s shortlist is Shakhtar Donetsk starlet Tete. The 22-year-old attacker has been in sensational form since joining Lyon on loan until the end of the season in an outside-of-the-window transfer due to the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Since arriving in France, the exciting Brazilian starlet has scored twice and provided four assists in ten outings for Les Gones, who are working behind the scenes to make his stay a permanent one as they eye a potential windfall from a future sale.
With the summer transfer window fast approaching, the youngster is regarded as one of the most sought-after players in Europe and already has several Premier League clubs, including the likes of West Ham United and Southampton on his trail.
Now, Newcastle have stepped on board, and Toon scouts were in attendance at Groupama Stadium when Tete scored a late winner during a dramatic 3-2 victory over Nantes last Sunday. Eddie Howe’s side would be smart to capture Tete as they seek to add some extra firepower out wide, with the Brazilian fitting the bill perfectly due to his dynamism, skill, and abundant pace.
At 22, he is far from the finished article but has shown clear potential to become one of the elite wingers in Europe if nurtured properly. Having said that, the report does not mention the asking price or whether he would be available again on a free transfer, given there is still a grey area when it comes to FIFA’s transfer ruling for players owned by Ukrainian clubs.
Frankie Fothergill from Cove Rangers would be an astute signing for the Magpies