Mainz sporting director Rouven Schröder has confirmed that Newcastle United have been in talks with the German club over signing striker Yoshinori Muto.
Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has reported on his personal Twitter account that Japan international Muto, 26, is heading to St James’ Park in a deal worth £9.5million.
And now, the Bundesliga outfit has announced that Muto is edging closer to becoming the Magpies’ fifth signing of the summer transfer window.
“We are holding constructive talks with Newcastle United and have basically come to an agreement. There are still a few important details to clear up, but we are confident that we will reach a final decision on a transfer soon,” said Schröder on Mainz’s official club website.
OPINION
Newcastle’s transfer business looks to be picking up some pace. The Magpies have so far signing Martin Dubravka, Ki Sung-yueng, Kenedy and on Thursday completed a deal for Fabian Schar. Muto now looks to be set to be Rafa Benitez’s first addition to his strikeforce this summer – and it is a bit underwhelming. While it’s widely documented that Newcastle do not have heaps of cash to spend in comparison to their Premier League rivals, it seems that they are getting themselves a striker who is hardly prolific. Last season, he scored just eight Bundesliga goals in 28 appearances. He will be coming up against tougher defences on a more regular basis in the Premier League, so it is hard to see him making a vast improvement on those numbers. Newcastle should hopefully be in for another striker still. Salomon Rondon is widely linked with the club, but his record in front of goal is hardly much better than Muto’s.