Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing up a potential summer move for AC Milan attacking midfielder Brahim Diaz, who is currently on loan from Real Madrid.

The Lowdown: Impressive loan spell

Diaz is enjoying an impressive loan spell at Milan, where he has been one of their standout performers in the Serie A with four goals and three assists, as well as ranking highly among his team-mates for average shots, key passes and dribbles per game (WhoScored).

In the UEFA Champions League, he was a key part of overcoming Tottenham Hotspur in the last-16 over two legs, scoring the outstanding' performance in the second.

Serie A analyst Matteo Bonetti also lauded him as a real 'pest' to play against, as he won nine of his individual duels, and also recorded three shots, three successful dribbles, two tackles, one interception, one key pass and an 82% overall pass accuracy (SofaScore).

Nonetheless, Diaz is sure to attract plenty of interest once he returns to Madrid in the summer.

The Latest: Newcastle interest

As per The Sunday Mirror (via The Daily Express), Newcastle are 'interested' in signing Diaz this summer, but face competition from fellow Premier League rivals Chelsea for his signature.

Milan also have the option to buy him on a permanent deal for around £19m, but Madrid are thought to be looking to recoup the £23.5m fee that they paid to sign him from Manchester City back in 2019.

The Italian giants want to see if a deal can be done closer to £21m, while Chelsea could offer as much as £25m for his services.

However, any move could depend on the future of Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, who has been backed to leave at the end of the season, as Diaz is 'surplus to requirements' for him, but a new coach may wish to keep hold of the Spaniard.

The Verdict: Another good option

Diaz would offer Eddie Howe another solid option in terms of attacking depth for next term.

With the Magpies aiming to qualify for the Champions League, the 23-year-old has already shown that he can perform on the big stage, while he also has the added Premier League experience with City previous.

Nonetheless, Diaz would add competition for places alongside the likes of Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin, and could be available for a fairly affordable price.