Newcastle United have been tipped to sign a player dubbed as the ‘next Mo Salah’, with sporting director Dan Ashworth identifying a high-quality Champions League star as a summer transfer target.
Newcastle announced one big-name signing in the January window, with Anthony Gordon arriving from Everton for an initial £40million. The deal has the potential to be worth £45m if certain conditions are met.
Gordon has moved to St James’ Park to improve Eddie Howe’s attacking options. He will compete with the likes of Joelinton, Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron for a starting spot on either wing.
Newcastle also brought in a couple of younger players last month to help ensure the future of the team looks bright. The transfer of teenage striker Garang Kuol from Central Coast Mariners officially went through, although he will spend the rest of the season on loan at Hearts.
The Magpies also spent £3m to capture Scotland U21 international Harrison Ashby from fellow Premier League side West Ham. The defender could eventually become Kieran Trippier’s successor at right-back.
Newcastle chief Ashworth is now turning his attention to potential summer additions. If Howe gets the team into the Champions League then they will need to bolster several positions ahead of next season.
Wednesday’s Transfer Gossip has provided some insight on who they might target at centre-back. And now, Football Insider have revealed another winger who could follow Gordon to the north east.
They claim Newcastle are plotting a sensational move for Napoli ace Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. He has been identified as a potential ‘A-list’ signing that would show big European clubs Newcastle are here to stay.
Newcastle target has world-class potential
Landing Kvaratskhelia would see Howe get his own Mo Salah. The Georgian has been compared to the Liverpool star by Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti, due to his exceptional dribbling and control in tight spaces.
Kvaratskhelia is not just technically brilliant, he is also deadly in the final third. So far this season, the left winger has managed 11 goals and 14 assists in 23 games.
He has torn apart big clubs such as Liverpool, Ajax and Juventus this season, whether it be in the Champions League or Serie A.
Kvaratskhelia, who is still only 22 years of age, would quite simply be a stunning signing for Newcastle. He has all the attributes to succeed in the Premier League and is well on his way to becoming one of the best wingers in the world.
While it makes sense that Newcastle have begun targeting him, they may struggle to agree a deal with Napoli.
Magpies would have to spend big to sign Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
The president of the Italian club, Aurelio De Laurentiis, is known to be an extremely tough negotiator. And he recently declared that Napoli have no financial problems. This means they do not need to sell Kvaratskhelia or striker Victor Osimhen. The latter is a target for teams such as Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea.
These factors mean Newcastle would have to stump up a huge amount of money to land Kvaratskhelia. The report does not mention exactly how much. But it could get close to £100million if Osimhen’s massive price tag is anything to go by.
The cost involved in the Kvaratskhelia hunt may ultimately put Ashworth off. While the wide man would be a brilliant capture, Ashworth wants to implement a sustainable transfer model, rather than following in Todd Boehly’s footsteps at Chelsea by paying hundreds of millions of pounds.
But if Kvaratskhelia ever becomes available for a lower price, then Newcastle will likely be in the mix to land him.