Newcastle United have been given a boost in their quest to sign an “excellent” player in the summer transfer window, with his current club potentially lowering their demands.
Newcastle could look to fill Botman void
The Magpies have suffered a season to forget overall, with their performances in both the Premier League and Champions League not up to scratch. However, injuries have been a fair excuse for Eddie Howe, with the manager constantly having to get by without so many key players available.
Newcastle have now received a fresh major blow with the news that Sven Botman’s season is over after suffering an ACL injury, which is expected to keep him out of action for 6-9 months. Given the Dutchman’s influence at the heart of the defence, it is a significant setback, and PIF could now look to sign another centre-back this summer.
Plenty of potential targets have emerged recently, with Sporting CP pair Goncalo Inacio and Ousmane Diomande both linked with moves to St James’ Park once the current campaign is done and dusted. Both are highly rated young players who could have big futures in the game, so they represent exciting options.
Someone who was backed to move to Newcastle earlier this season was Crystal Palace and England ace Marc Guehi, should he decide that this summer is the right time to move on to pastures new. Another Premier League player is also believed to be an option, with Nottingham Forest defender Murillo recently linked with a switch to the Magpies.
Newcastle given boost over “fantastic” target
According to a new update from A Bola [via Sport Witness], Newcastle remain keen on signing Inacio from Sporting in the summer window. Citing other sources, the Portuguese outlet stated that his current club could potentially accept €40m (£34.4m) plus €20m (£17.2m) in bonuses, rather than the upfront €60m (£51.7m) release clause that exists in his current deal. However, these bonuses would have to be considered realistically achievable.
It is also stated in the report that Sporting have already begun looking for replacements for both Inacio and Diomande, which could give the Magpies further hope of striking a deal for at least one of them.
Inacio could be a perfect signing for Newcastle at the end of the season, with so many positive attributes in his game, from quality on the ball to strong defensive work. He can also play at left-back if needed, which would give Howe more depth in that area of the pitch at a time when Dan Burn arguably doesn’t represent the future there, considering he is 31 years of age and more of a centre-back by trade.
The Sporting ace has been hailed as an “excellent central defender” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, and his stats in the table below sum up what an impressive season he is enjoying in the Primeira Liga:
The fact that Newcastle could strike a cheaper deal initially acts as an added bonus, and they should do all they can to snap up one of Europe’s brightest young defenders in the summer.
