Newcastle United have held internal discussions over who they would like to sign in the summer.
The Magpies are set to be able to spend in the upcoming transfer window following three transfer windows which saw barely any investment.
Eddie Howe hoped that sporting director Paul Mitchell could have welcomed at least one new player to the club in January but PSR hindered any signings they wanted to make.
Newcastle United also had to fight off interest for Alexander Isak in January. Arsenal were desperate to sign Isak after their strikers suffered season-ending injuries. Newcastle priced the Gunners out of a deal, however, with Isak valued at over £100m.
Reports claim that Newcastle have £80m-£100m to spend in the summer which should be enough to fund at least one big summer signing and several younger players should they wish to tackle the window in that manner.
With plans being drawn up for the summer, Newcastle have identified a striker they have grown to like this season who could be on the move.
READ MORE: Who is Alexander Isak? Age, Height, Family, Nationality, Roots
Newcastle targeting Porto’s Samu Aghehowa
Porto star Samu Aghehowa has had a brilliant season so far, showing he can perform both domestically and in Europe. At just 20 years old, Aghehowa has scored 19 goals and bagged three assists in all competitions this campaign, including six goals in the Europa League.
Porto are currently third in Liga Portugal thanks to Aghehowa’s fine form in front of goal this season, that same form has meant that there are several clubs around Europe interested in him.
According to CaughtOffside, Newcastle have a ‘growing appreciation’ for Aghegowa and have added him to their list of possible options to replace Isak in the summer.
The Magpies aren’t alone in their interest, however, as Chelsea were keen on signing him last summer. It was also recently reported that Arsenal, Tottenham and Bayern Munich are considering moves for the Olympic medalist, so Newcastle may struggle to get the deal over the line.
Aghehowa would follow in former Newcastle star Ayoze Perez’s footsteps by making the move to Tyneside. Perez spent five years at Newcastle, scoring 45 goals and bagging 17 assists in 195 games.
The report also claims that Newcastle are still interested in signing Viktor Gyokeres, who has been on the club’s radar for some time. The Swede has 44-goal involvements in all competitions this season.
A separate CaughtOffside report states that Newcastle would have to pay £41m for Aghehowa in the summer – a hefty price tag but one they must pay for a player of his quality.
It will be hard for Newcastle to replace Alexander Isak
Isak is truly a one-of-a-kind player who will be deemed irreplaceable by club figures.
Newcastle want to hand Isak a new contract to ensure that they can keep a hold of him for at least another year. The 25-year-old is contracted to the club until 2028, so there’s no rush to sell him by any means.
At the moment, Isak is focused on qualifying for the Champions League and believes that he can do that with Newcastle. The Magpies are currently sixth in the Premier League table following the loss to Liverpool on Wednesday, but they are only two points off Chelsea in fifth, which should be enough to qualify for Europe’s premier competition.
The Swede has a quality that all players dream of having – he can find the net without playing exceptionally. His performance in Newcastle’s win against Nottingham Forest was a prime example of that. He struggled against their low block but was still able to take advantage of counter-attacks and score a brace, albeit one was a penalty.
Isak is only just entering his prime years, Howe and Mitchell will be keen to make sure he plays them at Newcastle.
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