Newcastle United have reportedly set their sights on a potential summer move for Atalanta’s Colombian striker Luis Muriel.
According to Tutto Mercato Web, Newcastle United are considering making a move to sign Luis Muriel from Atalanta as they look to bolster their attacking unit before the transfer window closes.
Newcastle United made a positive start to their Premier League campaign beating Nottingham Forest 2-0 on Saturday, with their main striker Callum Wilson bagging a goal. However, the Englishman’s injury record is a cause for concern for manager Eddie Howe. Chris Wood was brought in during the winter window, but the Kiwi centre-forward is far from a prolific scorer.
Hence, Newcastle United have been looking to add another striker to their ranks before the window closes. The Magpies spent a lot of effort to sign Hugo Ekitike, only for the French prospect to make a last-minute U-turn and sign for PSG. Since then, the Tyneside outfit have been linked with a host of options, including Chelsea youngster Armando Broja, among several others.
Newcastle United have now trained their sights on a potential move for Luis Muriel. The 31-year-old has been a consistent goalscorer for Atalanta since his move from Sevilla in 2019, accumulating a respectable tally of 59 goals and 22 assists from 128 appearances. He was directly involved in 24 goals in all competitions for La Dea in the 2021/22 campaign.
Muriel, though, has entered the final year of his contract with Atalanta and could be on the move this summer. And Newcastle are now pondering whether to launch a move for the 31-year-old Colombian international. However, the Magpies will likely face competition from Serie A giants Juventus, who are potentially viewing Muriel as a possible backup for star striker Dusan Vlahovic.
The report adds that Newcastle may already have made contact with Atalanta to explore the possibility of a transfer. Whether they decide to go further in their pursuit of the 45-time capped Colombian international or decide to look at other alternatives will be interesting to see.
What seems to be certain is that Newcastle United will look to add another No. 9, and potentially a new wide player as well before the transfer window closes at the end of the month as Eddie Howe continues his rebuild at St James’ Park.
