Newcastle plot shock swoop for Everton star as Howe learns transfer wish of ‘focused’ £70m star
Newcastle United are interested in signing Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Sporting centre-back Ousmane Diomande, according to reports.
Eddie Howe is believed to be prioritising the signing of a new central midfielder but would also like to bring in a central defender and forward if his January transfer window budget allows it.
The Magpies are battling to stay within financial fair play regulations as they look to flex their financial muscle in the transfer market.
Since being bought by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in October 2021, the Premier League side have made several big-money signings, such as Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad and Sandro Tonali from AC Milan.
They have not overspent for players, though, despite there being talk of a ‘Newcastle tax’ when they come forward to buy players.
Thankfully for Howe, the work done in the early years of the PIF reign has shaken off talk of overpaying.
In terms of central midfielders, Newcastle have been strongly linked with ex-Wolves captain Ruben Neves, who left Molineux to sign for Al Hilal in the summer.
They are also said to be looking at Manchester City benchwarmer Kalvin Phillips with the aforementioned Tonali suspended until next season.
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Moving aside from that, it has been reported that Howe is looking to bolster his attack with the addition of Everton’s Calvert-Lewin.
This is according to TEAMtalk, who says Newcastle are tracking his situation at Goodison Park with Howe ‘seriously contemplating the idea of signing a forward on loan in January’.
While a loan deal is a possibility, the Magpies are expected to sign a new forward permanently at the end of the season, the report claims.
Calvert-Lewin is likely to fall into the bracket of a summer target and it has been confirmed that he is on the club’s ‘radar’.
It is claimed that there is a ‘good chance’ Howe signs a new attacking player in the winter transfer window and Paris Saint-Germain’s Hugo Ekitike – who Newcastle failed to sign last summer – is a ‘genuine target’.
Another player Newcastle have been ‘tracking’ is Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who is expected to cost close to £100million and is also tickling the fancy of Manchester United and Manchester City.
Furthermore, the Serie A champions are believed to be eager to tie ‘Kvaradona’ down to a new contract, even though his current deal expires in 2027.
As touched on in the opening paragraph, Newcastle are also keen on signing Sporting defender Diomande.
According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola (via Sport Witness), the signing of Diomande is not expected to happen in January with the Ivorian ‘focused’ on seeing out the season in Lisbon.
Sporting are unlikely to listen to any offers during the campaign as they chase the league title, though the 19-year-old does have a €80million (£69.6million) release clause in his contract.
There is lots of interest in Diomande, with Newcastle’s Premier League rivals Arsenal also believed to be keen.
The Ivorian international has played 16 times this season, scoring twice and picking up one red card.
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