Newcastle ‘line up summer transfer move’ for £60m-rated ex-Arsenal target

Premier League transfer update

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Newcastle United have reportedly placed Espanyol striker Raul de Tomas on their striker shortlist. The Spaniard’s stock has soared after his second consecutive season in amongst the goals, and Arsenal were heavily linked to the £60million-rated frontman as recently as January. 

The Gunners’ reluctance to pull the trigger may ultimately have cost them a spot in next season’s Champions League, with Mikel Arteta’s side stumbling to a fifth-place finish. As Gabriel Jesus beds in at the Emirates and Eddie Nketiah knuckles down after signing a new contract, reigniting their interest in De Tomas seems highly unlikely. 

That leaves the door open for Newcastle who, according to transfer specialist Ekrem Konur, have placed the striker on their shortlist this summer. Landing the forward won’t be cheap or easy, with a release clause rumoured to be around £60m and the likes of Juventus also showing an interest. 

De Tomas scored 17 La Liga goals for Espanyol last season, and that total could have been even higher were he not playing for a club in lower-mid-table. 

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In fact, De Tomas’ haul was just under half of his team’s total league goals as he almost single-handedly fired them to top-flight safety. The senior Spanish international rose through the ranks with Real Madrid – leaving permanently in 2019 after making just one appearance. 

Whether Newcastle would be tempted to launch a concrete bid for the 27-year-old remains to be seen, with Espanyol likely to hold out for the full asking price. Eddie Howe already has the luxury of a prolific striker in Callum Wilson, but his injury record has, at times, left the team exposed. 

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The £25m signing of Chris Wood in January was meant to take some of the pressure off in that regard, but he has managed just two goals in 17 Premier League appearances since switching to St James’ Park, signalling to the Newcastle hierarchy that new action is needed if they are to gatecrash the top six next season. 

The Magpies have also been linked to Chelsea youngster Armando Broja, who is scheduled to join the Blues on their pre-season tour of the USA next week. 

Once Howe found his feet on Tyneside, he put together a sensational run of form to break well clear of relegation danger and finish the season just shy of the top half. Whether they can use their vast financial resources to take another step and challenge the Premier League’s big guns remains to be seen, but they have already introduced three new faces this summer. 

Matt Targett signed a permanent deal after impressing on loan from Aston Villa last term, while Burnley were paid around £10m for Nick Pope, who is expected to compete with Martin Dubravka for the No 1 spot. 

A huge statement was also made when the Toon revisited their interest in Sven Botman after agonisingly missing out in January. This time around, Lille accepted the £35m offer in a move that sees Howe welcome one of the hottest young defenders in Europe.

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