Newcastle United are keeping an eye on Gianluca Scamacca as their search for a striker continues.
That’s according to the Athletic, who state that the Magpies and West Ham are ‘monitoring’ the 23-year-old forward. They add that Paris Saint-Germain lead the race at the moment, having already held talks with the Italian.
It’s a move that could make sense for Newcastle, who are on the lookout for competition for Callum Wilson.
The 30-year-old was the Magpies’ top scorer once again last season, but severely struggled with injuries. He has the talent, but he simply can’t stay fit.
That’s why Eddie Howe is looking to sign a striker this summer, but so far it is proving difficult.
Big fees quoted for Toon targets
Newcastle’s search for a striker has been frustrating. The likes of Darwin Nunez, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Ivan Toney have all been linked, each representing a different degree of difficulty.
Nunez wants European football, and could now be heading to Liverpool. Everton don’t want to sell Calvert-Lewin to a direct rival. And Toney’s asking price is ridiculous, with Brentford wanting more than £50million for him.
That would make him Newcastle’s record signing, and it would also make the club’s previous owners look rather foolish. They sold Toney in 2018 for just £650,000.
Scamacca is another option for Newcastle
While domestic options like Calvert-Lewin and Toney seem more favourable at the moment, Newcastle might be forced to look abroad.
Scamacca is certainly a man in demand after an impressive season for Sassuolo. The 6ft5in striker scored 16 goals in Serie A last season, making him the sixth highest scorer in the division.
It’s more than any Toon player managed, with Wilson topping the charts with eight. It’s also a more impressive tally than £50million-rated Toney, who scored 14 times in all competitions.
Howe needs to add more goals to his side, and a young striker like Scamacca could probably learn a lot from our current number nine.
There is also competition from Arsenal, but the Athletic state he is not their number one target. The report also adds that some people at Arsenal have doubts about Scamacca.
Those doubts could open the door for Newcastle to swoop in, but they should also provide food for thought.
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