Newcastle now preparing £16m bid for ‘Aguero-type’ striker

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A new striker could well be on the agenda for Newcastle United in the January transfer window.

Though Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson are both prolific forwards on their day, they are hardly the most reliable on the fitness front.

As such, Newcastle are expected to look for a new forward when the transfer window opens again in just a few weeks’ time.

Quite what they can do given the FFP constraints remains to be seen but it is thought to be an area the club are looking to strengthen.

Indeed, it seems a bid could soon be on the way.

Newcastle transfer news: Marcos Leonardo bid imminent

According to the print edition of the Sunday Express (page 66 on 19/11/2023), Newcastle are ready to make a £16m offer for Santos forward Marcos Leonardo.

The Magpies are believed to want to beat Chelsea and Fulham to the 20-year-old’s signing and have been quoted £25m for the striker.

Still, they are ready to go in with an offer lower than that valuation to test the waters, it seems.

Further afield, the likes of Roma and Real Madrid are also said to have cast a keen eye over the player.

Marcos Leonardo: Who is Newcastle transfer target?

The striker is a product of the famous Santos youth academy and scored five goals in as many games at the U20 World Cup earlier this year.

A profile piece on FIFA’s official website described his strengths as being “in and around the box”, so it seems safe to assume he is more of a poacher than a complete centre-forward.

Furthermore, South American football expert Tim Vickery even compared him to all-time Premier League great Sergio Aguero.

Speaking to talkSPORT in January, he said: “There is a kind of Aguero-type striker there, he is not particularly tall but comes alive in the penalty box and I think there is talent there as well.”