Newcastle now interested in signing £26m attacker with ‘room for improvement’

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Newcastle United are always on the lookout for rising stars and are now showing interest in the potential transfer of a £26m-rated attacker.

Since the arrival of Dan Ashworth as sporting director, the club have placed a huge emphasis on attracting the best young talent from around the world.

Mucho Deporte are now reporting that Newcastle are in the race for Real Betis youngster Assane Diao alongside Premier League rivals Liverpool and Chelsea.

Betis unhappy with Diao’s £26m clause

The 18-year-old has been very impressive for the Spanish club in his 14 senior appearances since making his debut against Rangers in the Europa League.

After scoring in his first two La Liga games against Valencia and Granada, the winger is now the youngest player to do so in the 21^st century.

Diao has also netted six times in his first 14 games and is starting to attract a lot of interest from some top European sides.

Speaking on the winger, Real Betis sporting director Ramon Planes said: “He is a footballer with a great room for improvement.

“He has a lot of room for improvement. It has even been seen in the two games he has played with Betis. We already saw it in his evolution in the youth team when we incorporated him.

“He has a series of qualities due to his genetics, but he is also a player who learns quickly.”

Although he only signed a new deal with the club in July, Betis are not happy with his existing release clause of €30m or £26m and are looking to renew again in order to up it to €40m [£34.7m] at least.

Diao could become next top prospect at Newcastle

Newcastle have already brought in the likes of Garang Kuol and Yankuba Minteh in the last few windows after they showed some real promise at their respective teams.

Both were sent out on loan this season to gain some first-team experience and develop their talents, and this could also be the case for Diao should the club win the race for his signature.

It could be said that Eddie Howe already has a number of options in the wide positions, but Diao’s powerful runs and versatility may offer something different.