Newcastle United are in the market for a new midfielder, and reportedly want to sign Alan Varela from Boca Juniors.
That is according to Argentinian outlet D Sports Radio, who believe that the Magpies are interested in the 21-year-old South American.
In fact, they state that Newcastle have offered as much as £15million to sign the defensive midfielder, as Eddie Howe looks to increase his midfield options.
That position is an area of concern for the Magpies in January, with Jonjo Shelvey suffering another injury setback. After only just recovering from a hamstring problem, he could now be out for another two months with a calf issue.
Therefore, Newcastle are now keen to sign a holding midfielder this month, and Varela has emerged as a new target.
He currently plays in Argentina for Boca Juniors, but has been tipped for a move to Europe very soon. He is reportedly a target for Barcelona, who see him as a replacement for Sergio Busquets.
Newcastle are also keen, and would no doubt like to get this deal wrapped up after a couple of early transfer setbacks.
Newcastle want to sign Alan Varela after Maximo Perrone blow
The Magpies have been linked with a few South American midfielders in recent months. The first was Andrey Santos, an 18-year-old Brazilian who Newcastle were confident of signing. But he is now on his way to Chelsea.
Maximo Perrone was an alternative target from Velez Sarsfield, and we hoped that the Santos disappointment would focus minds and see Newcastle press ahead with a deal for the 19-year-old.
However, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano now believes that Perrone is going to join Manchester City.
That is two young targets who Newcastle are missing out on to Premier League rivals. But when one door closes, another opens – and it could lead Varela to St James’ Park.
The youngster is a tough tackling Argentinian who reads the game expertly. Highlight compilations of Varela prove that he loves to thunder into a challenge, which would make him very popular on Tyneside. However, it could also make him susceptible to a yellow card as well.
With some fine tuning and adaptation to the English game, Varela could have the tools to be the holding midfielder Newcastle are looking for. His ability to protect the defence has made him a real hit at Boca Juniors, and could get him a move to Europe.
He looks like a good fit for Newcastle, and would allow Bruno Guimaraes to eventually play higher up the pitch – which is something Howe wants.
For £15million, Varela could be a smart addition, especially given the valuation of other players we have been linked to like Moises Caicedo.
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