Newcastle United have been offered Porto hotshot Samu Aghehowa ahead of the summer transfer window.
The Spain international has a £82.5m release clause in his contract and has wooed fans in Portugal this season with 20 goals to his name in all competitions. Aghehowa is on a long list of talent checked out by the Magpies but the release fee is something that could have to be negotiated.
Aghehowa is also being tracked by West Ham, Arsenal and Aston Villa but has admirers in La Liga too. Aghehowa, who won a gold medal after winning the football tournament at the Paris Olympics last summer, fits the bill in terms of age and profile in the next phase of Newcastle’s recruitment.
If experienced striker Callum Wilson is to be released at the end of his contract, with Eddie Howe open to a deal for the no.9 but knowing he could be overruled, a younger understudy for Alexander Isak is what Newcastle are looking for.
Speaking on scouting earlier this year Howe had told Chronicle Live: “I have always said we have to do the work. So we have to prepare as if we can (sign players this month).
“That is the best way to be. We have done the work and we know what we potentially would do. We know what positions we would potentially recruit in. It’s not for me to talk here.
“It is just so that everybody knows that the work has gone on. Otherwise, you lose track of the market and you lose track of players. You lose valuable knowledge that we may need in the future. We have done all the work we need.”
Meanwhile, Newcastle remain linked with Lille star Jonathan David after scouting the star throughout the countdown to his contract expiry. The Canada striker is one of the most sought after free transfers available in the summer market.
As Chronicle Live reported in January, the Magpies were not one of the clubs who tried to pull off a cheeky bid for his services before the winter window shut. Back then Lille had £10m offers to try to prise him away from the Ligue 1 club early but this was rejected as the French side argued could cost them a lot more if David is not around to help fire them to the lucrative Champions League spots.
What is clear is that David is keen on a move to the Premier League but is eyeing one of the big guns. That’s bad news for the likes of West Ham and Brighton who have an interest in the star.
Whether Newcastle fit into that category remains to be seen with Champions League qualification thought to be vital to give them a hope of signing David. Arsenal are believed to be in the box seat to land the 25-year-old while Manchester United, despite their troubles, could be seen as an option for the centre-forward.
When pressed on his future, David said last year: “Yes, I will be free at the end of the season. And as for my future, I hope to grow, to become a better player, and to play for the biggest clubs in the world, if I can.
“But first of all, I just want to have fun, never forget that football is fun. I started playing football because I had fun. And even though it has now become my job, you have to remember that I wake up every morning for football, for the pleasure of playing.”
View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/newcastle-united-offered-star-825m-31157361
