Newcastle have joined Brighton among the Premier League clubs chasing Jakub Kaminski. However, both now appear to have missed out as the Cologne winger closes in on a move to Benfica.
After weeks of reports in Germany pointing towards England as the Poland international’s most likely destination, the transfer is instead expected to be completed in Lisbon.
Portuguese newspapers A Bola and Record both report Kaminski is due to arrive in Portugal this week. He will undergo a medical and sign a five-year contract with Benfica. Marco Silva is keen to integrate him into pre-season immediately.
Newcastle joined Brighton in race
We have followed Brighton’s pursuit of Kaminski throughout recent weeks quite closely.
German reports consistently presented the Seagulls as the leading contenders. Brighton were reported to have made a concrete proposal. In addition, they were prepared to activate the player’s €20m (£17.3m) release clause before its mid-July expiry.
A Bola now added another Premier League name to the story. According to the Portuguese newspaper, Newcastle also entered the picture after selling Anthony Gordon to Barcelona.
The Magpies made enquiries and approached Kaminski’s camp as they explored a replacement, but the report makes no suggestion they followed that up with a formal offer comparable to Brighton’s.
RB Leipzig also remained interested, creating strong competition for Benfica.
Benfica convince player despite Premier League interest
Despite the attention from England and Germany, Kaminski is said to have chosen Benfica after being convinced by the project presented by Rui Costa and Marco Silva.
Kaminski had previously spoken publicly about his ambition to play in England, while German reports insisted his representatives were negotiating with English clubs.
Instead, Benfica have moved quickly to secure the versatile attacker. The Portuguese side are keen to have him available as soon as possible ahead of their Europa League qualifying campaign.
If the reports from Portugal prove accurate, Brighton’s formal move and Newcastle’s late approach will ultimately count for little, with Kaminski now set to continue his career in Lisbon rather than the Premier League.
