Newcastle United are reportedly interested in signing Raphael Guerreiro from Borussia Dortmund on a free transfer this summer.
That is according to 90min, who state that Newcastle are one of multiple clubs who want to sign Guerreiro when his contract expires this summer.
The 29-year-old’s Dortmund deal is due to run out at the end of the season, and there are seemingly no plans for him to remain with the Bundesliga giants.
That has alerted Newcastle, who are set to be in the market for a new left-back this summer. Kieran Tierney has been heavily linked, while there has also been talk of interest in Renan Lodi.
Guerreiro is a new name on Eddie Howe’s radar, but the Magpies are no strangers to the Portugal international.
Newcastle have wanted Raphael Guerreiro since 2015
This is not the first time that Newcastle have been linked with Guerreiro. If you go back to 2015, Steve McClaren’s Magpies were looking at signing the defender from Lorient before his move to Dortmund.
In the same transfer window that Newcastle brought in Georginio Wijnaldum, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Florian Thauvin, the Magpies also looked at Guerreiro. L’Equipe stated that McClaren wanted him, and that he was available for £8.8million.
Meanwhile, the Northern Echo state that the Magpies were scouting the left-back shortly before McClaren was sacked in 2016 and replaced by Rafa Benitez.
While Guerreiro was on Newcastle’s radar, a move to St James’ Park did not materialise. The Magpies missed out in the summer of 2015, then were relegated a year later. Rather than join Newcastle in the Championship, Guerreiro was on his way to Dortmund.
Cristiano Ronaldo is a big fan
Newcastle wanted to sign Guerreiro a long time ago, and so did his fellow countryman Cristiano Ronaldo. In an interview in 2016, he stated that he would like to see the defender join him at Real Madrid.
That did not happen, but they continue to play together at international level. They both represented Portugal at the World Cup, where they lost in the quarter finals to Morocco.
Portugal’s best moment at the World Cup was the 6-1 drubbing of Switzerland, where Guerreiro was described as ‘perfect‘. It was also an infamous game for Ronaldo, as he was dropped to the bench in favour of Goncalo Ramos.
CR7 is now playing in Saudi Arabia despite tentative rumours about a move to Newcastle, and now Guerreiro is being linked with a Tyneside switch.
Leeds, Aston Villa and Wolves are also linked, but Newcastle should have the luxury of being able to offer him European football. He is an incredible player with a huge amount of experience, but it is more likely that Eddie Howe opts for someone younger.
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