Newcastle target had ‘game of his life’ at weekend – Magpies interest looks valid

Last week, we covered the Brazilian and the Portuguese media both claiming that Newcastle United are interested in signing Francisco Trincão.

A couple of reports said the Magpies have an eye on the 23-year-old, who’s loaned by Barcelona to Sporting until the end of the season, with a buying option worth just €7m.

As the Lions beat Casa Pia 4-3 on Sunday, Trincão scored a hat-trick. That was so unexpected that newspapers O Jogo and Record had to go with the same headline on their front pages today, saying ‘Hat-Trincão’.

Needless to say, both outlets have given great compliments to the 23-year-old’s performance. Record rated the winger with a 5 out of 5. O Jogo says he had the ‘game of his life’, with Sporting fans getting excited that the €7m they’re spending on his signing this summer will be well invested.

That means Sporting will surely trigger their option, and Newcastle should negotiate directly with the Lions.

The Lisbon side would then have a golden chance to make an immediate profit with the winger, and should certainly demand a lot more for his sale, as he’s currently valued by Transfermarkt at €15m.

Trincão has 12 goals and three assists for the Lions this season, and if Newcastle are really watching him, they will certainly have been convinced by what they saw at the weekend.