Newcastle United are reportedly growing increasingly confident they can land in-demand Brazilian wonderkid Andrey Santos from Vasco da Gama.
Andrey Santos has become the subject of interest from a host of top clubs around Europe in recent months, with 90min now suggesting Newcastle United are growing increasingly confident of their chances of sealing a deal to sign the 18-year-old midfield sensation in the upcoming January transfer window.
Regarded as one of the most promising young midfielders in his homeland, Santos came through the ranks at the Brazilian outfit and has become a regular staple in the first team this year.
The versatile teenager — who is the club’s youngest player ever to score for Vasco, surpassing a certain Philippe Coutinho — has already appeared 32 times for the club’s first-team, with most of his appearances coming in Brasileirão Série B, scoring seven goals, which is an impressive tally considering he is a holding defensive midfielder.
An all-round central midfielder who can fit into several roles in the middle of the park, Santos is attracting interest from not only Newcastle United but also the likes of Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and even Aston Villa.
Andrey Santos 🇧🇷 for Vasco da Gama this season:
28 games played
54 tackles won
21 interceptions pic.twitter.com/VufT4F3A1I— Tom (@Tom1000j) October 7, 2022
However, the Magpies are said to be in a pole position to secure his services after already laying the groundwork during the summer window. The Tyneside giants have been keeping tabs on the Vasco da Gama talent for a number of months now, with the 18-year-old being identified as having the true No. 6 qualities that the Magpies are looking for to allow star Bruno Guimaraes more freedom in the attacking third of the pitch.
Further, the Magpies and Vasco have apparently had “lines of communication” open since the summer. Vasco have recently negotiated a contract renewal with the youngster, lasting until 2027, putting the Brazilian Serie B club in a great position for any potential sale.
The Rio de Janeiro-based outfit are thought to be only entertaining bids worth over £20 million for the Brazil Under-20 international, but Newcastle are unfazed by such a price tag and want to complete a deal as soon as next January.
Following the appointment of former Brighton & Hove Albion director of football Dan Ashworth at Newcastle, the Magpies have started to press ahead with their plans to boost the youth ranks at St James Park, with Australian prodigy Garang Kuol becoming their latest addition last month.
The Magpies have certainly begun to target their youth ranks and build for the future, having signed Kilmarnock defender Charlie McArthur and Galway United left-back Alex Murphy during the summer.
If signed, Santos will likely be incorporated into the first-team squad with countrymen Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes as he is already good enough to serve as a rotational piece in Eddie Howe’s squad but is still quite raw and would need time to settle into life in the Premier League.
Dubbed to be the “Brazilian Busquets”, the youngster is known for his tough-tackling, aggressiveness, technical elegance, and game-reading ability to snuff out danger at the source. Able to cover a vast amount of ground thanks to his work rate, he impacts both phases of the game equally. At just 18, he has plenty of untapped potential for Howe to work with.
