Newcastle United are targeting a move for Barcelona forward Raphinha as they look for a ‘leap in quality’ next season.
That’s according to Mundo Deportivo, who say the Magpies will ‘spare no expense’ to get the Brazilian from the Catalan giants.
The newspaper reports that Newcastle have Raphinha ‘in their sights’ for next season as they are seeking ‘powerful strikers’ to bolster their squad.
The Brazilian is a player who is ‘very much liked’ by Eddie Howe’s side, with them having been keen on him when he played for Leeds. In fact, they competed with Barcelona for his signature last summer.
That move is yet to work out and there have been increasing reports that he could be moved on this summer and Newcastle are planning on ‘taking advantage’ of that.
They will ‘return to the charge’ for the forward and have made it clear they will ‘spare no expense’ in any possible deal, aware that Barcelona need to make a major sale to help balance the books.
At the moment the Catalans have not made selling Raphinha a priority, but they need to reduce their wage bill by €200m and bring in at least €100m in sales and they know that Raphinha has a market in the Premier League after his time at Leeds.
Thus, Newcastle’s interest could work out well for all parties, with their owners ready to ‘pay the necessary capital’ to strengthen the squad, particularly if they qualify for the Champions League this season.
