It appears that Newcastle have targeted their first signing of the transfer window, and the man in question is Leganes’ Gabriel Pires.
The Brazilian attacking midfielder joined the Spanish outfit last summer for around £850k, and has enjoyed a decent season in La Liga with five goals and two assists in 34 appearances.
The Chronicle claimed over the weekend that Newcastle were considering the move, and Marca on Monday seem to confirm it.
The Spanish newspaper claim Rafael Benitez is debating whether or not to activate the player’s release clause for next season, which would see the deal reach somewhere between €6-7m.
They also report the already known news the promoted Championship side were interested in Gabriel Pires back in January, but their status at the time in England’s second-tier put a stop to any possible deal.
Leganes managed to stay up in La Liga this season, finishing 17th with 35 points, and with his assignment now completed, Pires could very well move on to bigger and better things, like a season in the Premier League at St James’ Park.
One to keep an eye on in the next week or so.
