Newcastle United are in the hunt to sign Uruguay attacker Giorgian De Arrascaeta with his club Cruziero resigned to losing him this summer, according to The Sun.
The newspaper claims that the Cruzeiro technician’s performances for his country at the 2018 World Cup have attracted the attention of a number of clubs this summer, with Newcastle and Celtic currently the front-runners for his signature.
The report reveals that Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez is keen to secure an attacking midfielder who can play as a No 10 this summer but will have to match the Brazilian club’s £18million valuation in order to sign the 5ft 7in Uruguay international, which would break The Magpies all-time transfer record (TransferMarkt).
The 24-year-old South American, who can play as a winger, striker or in midfield, has scored 20 goals and provided 13 assists in 90 appearances for his domestic club Cruzeiro.
Good signing for Newcastle?
Could be hit or miss this one.
The 24-year-old is an exciting talent with a lot of pace and great dribbling skills, which make him hard for defenders to pick up.
His versatility in the forward areas is a big plus as it allows the manager more flexibility in the way he wants to play.
However, his goals and assist record isn’t that impressive for an attacking player, he needs to contribute more in order to raise his game further.
This is Futbol rating 7/10
Likely to happen?
Not likely.
Newcastle would reportedly have to pay £18million for the Uruguayan’s signature, which would break their all-time transfer record and surely they’d want someone better than De Arrascaeta if they were to break their record.
Surely Benitez knows the facts in terms of how many goals and assists the Cruzeiro forward contributes to the team, and because the Spaniard all about efficiency, he won’t spend big if it won’t make a big difference his squad.
This is Futbol rating 5/10