Newcastle United are among the clubs who are 'crazy' about Inter Milan's Marcelo Brozovic, according to Inter Live.

The lowdown

The midfielder is approaching the end of his Inter contract, which runs until June 2022. As it stands, there's a possibility that he leaves on a free transfer.

He featured in all four of Croatia's matches at Euro 2020 and has started every Serie A game for Inter so far this season (via WhoScored). The 28-year-old is averaging 5.3 accurate long balls (the highest among Inter's squad), 1.7 tackles and one dribble per 90 minutes in the Italian top flight.

Former Nerazzurri manager Luciano Spaletti has marvelled at Brozovic in the past, telling reporters that the midfielder 'has a compass in his feet'.

The latest

As per Inter Live, the Serie A champions are trying to tie down Brozovic to a new contract and ward off any interest in him. They are willing to offer him a salary of €5m per year (roughly £82,000 per week) to persuade him.

In the meantime, the sharks are circling. Newcastle are in the frame along with two Champions League clubs in Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United, along with Antonio Conte's Tottenham Hotspur.

The verdict

First and foremost, it must be exciting for Newcastle fans to be in the same conversation as those established European outfits, as it indicates the ambition of the new owners.

However, it's also some pretty mighty competition. Manchester United may have identified Brozovic as a potential solution to their midfield problems, while Conte has the potentially crucial advantage of having worked him previously.

If Newcastle could pull it off, it would be some coup for the Saudi-led consortium to beat such prominent clubs to an established international (who helped his nation to a World Cup final) and a Champions League-calibre midfielder.

In other news, PIF are 'optimistic' about this potential Newcastle signing