Newcastle United have added Rodrigo Muniz to their dwindling striker shortlist and Alan Shearer has praised the Fulham forward in the past.
It was yet another dreary summer day for Newcastle United on Wednesday, as things continued to go awry on and off the pitch.
Eddie Howe’s side lost their third pre-season friendly on the spin in a 1-0 defeat to Team K League. Though debutant Park Seung-soo impressed, no one else did and Joe Willock suffered an injury scare.
Elsewhere, the disastrous transfer window hit another bump as it emerged that Newcastle believe Benjamin Sesko is heading to Manchester United.
The striker will be joining two other targets Newcastle wanted, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, as their woes in the hunt for attacking quality continue.
Missing out on Sesko may mean they have little choice but to keep Alexander Isak regardless of his desire to leave or however much Liverpool bid.
But Newcastle will still need reinforcements even if Isak does stay and now Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz is the latest in a long line of potential targets.
The Brazilian has already earned praise from Alan Shearer.
- Every player linked with Newcastle in summer transfer window: Latest news and prices on Eddie Howe’s targets
Alan Shearer has been impressed by Rodrigo Muniz twice
Going from the likes of Hugo Ekitike and Joao Pedro to Muniz might be seen as a big downgrade in the eyes of supporters.
They can’t be blamed much given Muniz isn’t even Fulham’s first choice, sitting behind Raul Jimenez in the pecking order, but the Brazilian does have 17 Premier League goals to his name.
In addition, Newcastle legend Shearer has given him high praise in the past.
After Muniz scored against Liverpool in April, Shearer named him in his Team of the Week and was dazzled by the way he bettered Virgil van Dijk.
He wrote: “The Fulham forward gave Van Dijk and Liverpool’s backline a torrid afternoon.”
Muniz also caught Shearer’s eye the previous season when he scored a brace against Bournemouth.
Speaking on Match of the Day, the iconic striker said: “He really was a handful. Tough to play against, horrible to play against in fact. That’s always a good thing for a centre-forward, that’s what you have to be.
“He was strong, he ran the channels, he brought players into the game and he really upset the Bournemouth defenders in every way, in everything he was doing. He was willing to run in behind and on one of the occasions he does it, they get their first goal because of it.
“They [Fulham] got balls into the box for him and he was first to react. He understood the situation and got there first. He was barging defenders out of the way and I really enjoyed his performance. That’s what you have to do.
“We haven’t seen enough of him because he’s been out on loan or injured or whatever it is, but he has got a real opportunity to stake a claim and stay in there [in the team].
“He’s got to produce that every week now. I mean, they have signed Armando Broja on loan but Muniz has got an opportunity to stay in there if he keeps performing like that.”
Fulham stance on Rodrigo Muniz amid Newcastle United interest
The Daily Mail reported on Wednesday that Newcastle have made an ‘informal enquiry’ to Fulham for Muniz.
Though ‘no high-level talks’ have taken place, discussions between intermediaries have and a £40m price tag has been mooted.
Signing him could be difficult, though, as Marco Silva will be keen for one of his best players to stay.
Fulham want to keep hold of Muniz but with the striker yet to sign a new contract – his current deal expires in 2026, but there is an option for a further year – they may be forced to cash in.
Leeds United have been heavily linked with the 24-year-old all summer and had a bid rejected in June, with Fulham said to want closer to £50m.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
