On Monday evening, the Brazilian media reported Newcastle United’s failed attempt to sign FC Porto winger Pepê.
According to Globo Esporte, the Magpies offered €35m for the player, and the amount was turned down by the Dragons, who demand €60m to let him go.
It turns out the news came as a surprise to the Portuguese media, who today only cover the claims from Brazil, even though they have some idea of where Newcastle’s interest in Pepê came from.
Newspaper O Jogo writes that the Magpies made ‘numerous observations’ at Porto’s games last season. It’s claimed the Premier League side ‘requested tickets’ many times and ‘signalled some Portistas as targets’.
The interesting claim here is that, according to the report, Newcastle were convinced that the Dragons would give a discount for some players. And after being linked to goalkeeper Diogo Costa, it’s now Pepê who shows up as a target.
The slant from the Portuguese media, in general, is that Pepê is one of the few stars left at the Dragão, with the likes of Luis Diaz, Fabio Vieira and Vitinha all leaving the club this year. That’s why only an amount close to his €70m release clause will take him from the club this summer.
