Newcastle United and AC Milan are very familiar with each other this summer.
The two sides went head-to-head last month, battling each other to sign Sven Botman. For a long time it looked like the Dutchman would go to Italy, with claims that they were the only club he wanted to join.
However, that has proven not to be the case. The Magpies beat Milan, and have officially signed one of the most exciting young centre-backs in Europe.
People within Newcastle reportedly believe he can become one of the world’s leading defenders – and he chose to move to St James’ Park instead of the San Siro.
It’s incredible to see us beating a team like AC Milan to a signing. They are one of the biggest teams in the world, the Serie A champions and a Champions League side. But Newcastle’s financial muscle persevered and means Botman is a Magpie.
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Now Eddie Howe is looking for attacking reinforcements, and could potentially embarrass AC Milan again.
Newcastle and AC Milan both want to sign Marco Asensio
According to AS in Spain, Newcastle are interested in signing Marco Asensio from Real Madrid. The report states that PIF want to make the 26-year-old the ‘cornerstone of the new project’.
It’s an interesting rumour. Asensio does and doesn’t fit the bill of what Newcastle want. He’s an extremely gifted footballer, described as ‘world class‘ by Vicente del Bosque in the past. He can play on the right wing, which is exactly where Howe needs to strengthen.
Asensio wouldn’t cost a fortune either, with Madrid reportedly wanting as much as £25million for the Spain international.
However, he is a blockbuster name, which will have alarm bells ringing for Toon fans. We haven’t signed anyone yet with a crazy reputation since the takeover – we’ve been sensible with our additions. Asensio would certainly buck the trend.
There is interest from elsewhere in Asensio, which brings us back to Milan. They reportedly want to sign the attacker, having shifted their focus elsewhere after giving up on Botman.
But Madrid would rather he went to the Premier League and joined someone like Newcastle. That’s because they think they can get more money for him.
Whether Newcastle are actually in the mix or not, it would be another sign of the times if the Magpies landed another top player over the seven-time European champions.