A new name on Newcastle United’s list of striker targets is Raul de Tomas.
According to reporter Matteo Moretto, the Magpies are interested in potentially signing the Espanyol forward. Moretto adds that Juventus are also keen.
Two teams in black and white want the 27-year-old, with both looking for reinforcements ahead of the new campaign.
Both Newcastle and Juve have very different ambitions. The Magpies are looking to progress up the table after avoiding relegation last season, while Juventus are looking to reestablish themselves as a force in Italy after a few shaky years.
But both sides are reportedly interested in De Tomas, who is on the back of his best ever season in Spain.
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Raul de Tomas was excellent for Espanyol last season
Karim Benzema was the top scorer in La Liga last season, finding the net 27 times. He was well ahead of everyone else.
As for De Tomas, he was down in joint third, scoring 17 goals for Espanyol, including strikes against Real Madrid and Barcelona. It was a wonderful season for him, having scored 23 times the season prior in the second tier.
De Tomas is proving to be a bit of a late bloomer, having started his career at Real Madrid. He only made one senior appearance for Los Blancos, and spent most of his days out on loan.
Now he appears to be settled at Espanyol, and even forced his way into the Spain squad.
Newcastle would have to pay big money if they want to sign him
If Newcastle do decide to make a move for De Tomas, they best be prepared to pay big bucks. Matteo Moretto adds that Espanyol want a fee in the region of £30million.
That’s a lot of money, and would make him Newcastle’s second most expensive signing of the summer behind Sven Botman.
It’s more than we paid for Chris Wood in January, who struggled for goals after his £25million move.
But are Newcastle going to splash out on De Tomas? It feels unlikely. While he would be a good addition and add great competition through the middle, the majority of our budget is best spent on a winger.
The Magpies need to be careful with their summer spending, and still have two positions to fill before the window closes. A winger is more pressing, and that’s where most of our money should go.
Signing De Tomas for £30million would leave us with limited cash to bring in a wide player, which would be unwise given that a new forward would merely be a backup option.