Newcastle United’s move for Andrey Santos has failed, but luckily they have identified another midfielder from South America in Maximo Perrone.
The Magpies have been heavily linked with signing Santos from Vasco da Gama in January. Now the 18-year-old is on his way to the Premier League, but will reportedly join Chelsea rather than Newcastle.
They are going to pay an initial £12million for the midfielder, which could rise to £20million with add-ons. He is set to sign a five-year deal at Stamford Bridge, with official confirmation the only thing that appears to be missing.
It is a real blow for Newcastle. Santos would have been a brilliant investment. He is a star of the future and could have been moulded into a St James’ Park hero by Dan Ashworth and Eddie Howe.
But instead they will have to look elsewhere. Fortunately, another teenage midfielder who Newcastle have been linked with is still available.
Newcastle linked with move for Maximo Perrone
While Newcastle were chasing Santos, rumours surrounding Perrone also emerged. It was reported in Argentina that the Magpies want to sign the 19-year-old, who currently plays for Velez Sarsfield.
According to a reporter in Argentina called Cesar Luis Merlo, Newcastle are willing to pay as much as £12.3million for the defensive midfielder, which is more than his release clause.
That was reported midway through November. Since then, the Perrone to Newcastle trail has gone slightly quiet. There was one story claiming that a deal was set to be done, although it didn’t seem the most reputable.
But now that the Magpies have missed out on Santos, they must step up their bid to bring in Perrone. He could prove to be an Ashworth masterstroke, and is available for less than what Chelsea will eventually pay for Santos.
Perrone is highly rated in Argentina, so much so that Pep Guardiola wanted to bring him to Manchester City. He has been described as ‘spectacular‘ by ex-Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze, while Goal have predicted that he could be a contender for Argentina’s World Cup title defending team in 2026.
He clearly has a bright future, and that will hopefully be spent at Newcastle. Perrone, who turns 20 in January, could be the ‘number six’ Eddie Howe is looking for.
Bruno Guimaraes currently occupies that role, but Howe wants him to play higher up the pitch.
Getting Perrone would allow that to happen in the future, and a move for him should become a priority now that Santos has passed us by.
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