Another source has suggested that Gennaro Gattuso is a candidate for the role of Newcastle United manager. 

This time it's Calciomercato, corroborating claims made by journalist Fabio Santini last week.

The lowdown

Speaking on Il Processo (via Sport Witness), Santini said there had been a 'sensational twist' in the race for the St James' Park hotseat, with Gattuso emerging as an option. He said that the AC Milan legend would accept a short-term contract running until the end of the 2021/22 season.

Gattuso has left his last two jobs, with Milan and Napoli, after failing to secure Champions League qualification.

He held talks with Tottenham Hotspur last summer, but they opted not to appoint him amid a backlash from supporters stemming from his comments on race, women in football and same-sex marriage (via The Athletic).

The latest

The latest report from Calciomercato claimed that Newcastle are considering Gattuso in addition to Paulo Fonseca and their 'dream' appointment, Erik ten Hag.

After a proposal by Gattuso's agent Jorge Mendes, the former Italy midfielder features in the Magpies' 'notebook'.

The verdict

It's hard to imagine this would be a popular appointment. In a sporting sense, Gattuso has clearly failed to achieve his clubs' objectives in each of his last two positions in Serie A.

Off the field, his aforementioned controversial standpoints would put Newcastle under further scrutiny following criticism of the Saudi regime's human rights record.

The Magpies would probably be better off focusing their attention on Fonseca, who is also out of work and has a much better track record. That means there would be no need to pay a compensation fee for a manager whose CV appears more promising than Gattuso's.

In other news, Craig Hope has the latest on another managerial candidate