Newcastle United are reportedly 'in the running' with clubs currently competing in the Champions League to sign Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Interest there

Record (via Sport Witness) reported earlier in the month that the St James' Park club were 'tightening the siege’ for Nunez, implying that interest is well and truly there to bring him to Tyneside.

He is certainly catching the eye this season, with eight goals and two assists in 15 matches across all competitions with Benfica, including three goals in five Champions League matches (Transfermarkt).

His agent Edgardo Lasalvia claims that the striker is ‘destined for great things’, and at 22 years of age, the Uruguay international should only get better.

The Latest: Nunez update

According to Record (via Sport Witness), Newcastle are 'in the running' along with Champions League quartet Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Manchester City and Atletico Madrid for his signature.

Benfica are reluctant to sell him in the January transfer window, and it would require a club to pay his astronomical release clause, currently standing at €150m (£126.2m).

Therefore, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium at St James' Park may need to wait until the summer if they wish to bring Nunez in.

The Verdict: Wait until summer

Nunez is certainly a player with a lot of promise, but paying £126.2m for him, even for the new mega-rich owners, is simply far too much.

The Magpies must wait until the summer before they make their move, as their fate will also become clear as to whether they have avoided relegation from the Premier League.

However, if they are still in the top flight, and if they can get him for a reasonable price, then Nunez is someone they should pursue.

With a 6 foot 2 frame, the forward has both the physical and aerial attributes to thrive in the Premier League, and his agent has even claimed that he has ‘a lot of things in common’ with Manchester United beast and fellow Uruguayan Edinson Cavani, a man who has scored an abundance of goals wherever he has played.

If he goes on to score as many goals and be as ruthless as Cavani has been over the next few years, then Newcastle would have a real player on their hands.

In other news, NUFC are eyeing up a move for this 'exciting' midfielder with a Kante-like engine