Newcastle United are reportedly in the race to land a deal for Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos. 

The Lowdown: Ramos' career so far

In 136 appearances for the Lisbon club across their senior and youth teams, the 21-year-old has scored 56 goals and delivered 19 assists, with 29 of those goals coming at first-team level.

The recent World Cup saw the youngster score a hat-trick in Portugal's 6-1 win over Switzerland, which was described as "remarkable" by Gary Lineker on Twitter.

Now that the January transfer window is set to open in the coming days, the striker has found himself the subject of attention of three prominent European clubs.

The Latest: Newcastle in Ramos transfer race

According to a recent report from Portuguese media outlet O Jogo (via Sport Witness), Newcastle have Ramos on their radar, along with fellow Premier League club Manchester United and French champions Paris Saint-Germain.

However, the report adds that the only way Benfica would be open to selling the striker is if his €120m (£106m) release clause is met.

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The Verdict: A big move for Newcastle

Along with scoring nine goals in 11 league games for Benfica this season, Ramos has also had more shots on target (15) than any other player at the club, further highlighting how deadly an attacking figure he can be.

While it's clear that the Benfica star would be an exciting acquisition for Newcastle, it would certainly be an expensive one, especially if they want to sign him in January.

 

With Eddie Howe currently having the likes of Callum Wilson, Chris Wood and Alexander Isak in his squad, we feel that launching a move for Ramos next month would not be totally necessary for the Magpies, especially given the significant amount of money that it would likely take to sign him.

However, if things were to change by the time the summer transfer window comes around, that would be the correct time for Newcastle to try their luck with a move for the striker if he's still at Benfica by then.