Newcastle United are lining up a January move for Basel and Norway forward Mohamed Elyounoussi, according to Football Insider.
The sports news site claim that the north-east giants are keen to beat Southampton in the race to land the attacker as they aim to strengthen when the window re-opens next month.
Football Insider report that Newcastle are ready to table a bid for the Norway international, 23, following his excellent performances this season, in which he has scored five goals and supplied 11 assists in just 23 matches.
Good move for Newcastle?
Rafael Benitez is chronically short of top-class forwards who can dismantle Premier League defences, and a forward of quality is one of his priorities next month irrespective of the club’s takeover situation. Elyounoussi has established himself as the star player of a Basel team that has just qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League despite being in the same group as Manchester United and Benfica. He scores and creates goals, has 14 Norway caps and was integral to Basel winning their eighth consecutive title last season. Capable of playing on either flank or centrally, Elyounoussi would need time to get used to the Premier League but could be a really smart acquisition.
This Is Futbol rating 8/10
Likely to happen?
It is possible, but Basel will be reluctant to lose Elyounoussi as they look forward to the knockout stages of the Champions League. There is also strong interest from Southampton, who might have more money to play with until the Newcastle takeover goes through, which is now unlikely to be before the end of January. The Benitez factor is likely to come into play, but he will need to be backed by the Toon top brass.
This Is Futbol rating 5/10