Newcastle United are reportedly willing to outbid Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund to sign teenage wonderkid Roger Fernandes from SC Braga.
According to A Bola, Newcastle United are intent on signing 16-year-old attacking prodigy Roger Fernandes from Portuguese club SC Braga. However, the Magpies will face intense competition for his services from European giants Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
Born in Guinea-Bissau, Roger Fernandes moved to Portugal at a very young age and has been part of the SC Braga youth setup for some time. Despite his young age, the winger is already a part of Braga’s senior setup. Indeed, he made his first-team debut for the Portuguese club in August 2021, at the age of 15. Since then, he has featured 11 times and found the back of the net three times.
Fernandes’ potential and promise at such a young age has not gone unnoticed as several top clubs across Europe are looking at the teenage whizkid as a transfer target. Atletico Madrid, Ajax and Borussia Dortmund are among the 16-year-old’s strongest suitors, but Newcastle United have also thrown their hat in the ring to secure his services.
As per the report, Braga have already turned down a €10 million bid from Dortmund and have rejected €12 million from Ajax for Fernandes. Atletico Madrid are also said to be pushing hard for his signing. Manager Diego Simeone is intent on getting the youngster on board, as he believes the winger is ready for first-team action.
However, Newcastle United are ready to outbid all the clubs to secure the teenager’s signing. Newcastle United have been quite active in the market so far, having completed three first-team signings. At the same time, the Magpies are also looking to bolster their youth ranks with an eye on the future.
It has seen the Magpies get linked with youngsters such as Angelo Gabriel and Jordan Hackett, among others. And Roger Fernandes has emerged as one such target for Newcastle, who are ready to go toe-to-toe with the European bigwigs for his signing this summer.
SC Braga are keen on holding on to their crown jewel and are pointing at his €40 million release clause to scare off suitors. So, it remains to be seen if Newcastle United can strike an agreement with the Portuguese giants to get the deal over the line for Roger Fernandes.