A journalist has revealed that Newcastle United are now 'having contacts' over the possibility of signing Dusan Vlahovic in the January transfer window.
The Lowdown: Rising star
At just 21 years of age, Vlahovic is a rising star in the beautiful game.
He has already managed to score 18 goals and make a further four assists in 21 matches in total over all competitions so far this season (made his mark on the Serbia national team.
His performances have certainly caught the attention of the Italian press, who have described the Fiorentina machine as a 'force of nature', already comparing him to strikers like Erling Haaland and Romelu Lukaku.
On Friday, the Italian outfit added fuel to the fire of rumours around his future, confirming the signing of a possible replacement in the shape of Krzysztof Piatek.
The Latest: Bid prepared
As per beIN Sports journalist Tancredi Palmeri, the St. James' Park faithful and Fiorentina are 'having contacts' over a potential move for Vlahovic, and that the former are 'working' on a bid of €70m (£58.5m) for his signature.
That would of course smash the club-record £40m that they paid for Joelinton back in 2019, and so would be a real statement of intent from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium.
Nonetheless, the Serie A club are 'keen' to sell, but Vlahovic himself is not as keen on moving to the North East.
The Verdict: Unrealistic
Vlahovic has the world at his feet, and so given that the Tyneside outfit are currently in a relegation battle, a move for him this month seems too unrealistic - Tottenhem and Arsenal are also in the race.
The Serbian is also not keen on the move himself, and so would take a lot of persuading, perhaps with a ridiculous wage packet that the new owners would not want to shell out even despite their riches.
Nonetheless, a number of top clubs in Europe will surely be swarming all over him learning that Fiorentina are keen to sell and are signing other front men, and so the Magpies may get crowded out.
Thus, they should be looking at more realistic targets for now.
In other news, find out which 'unplayable' ace NUFC could now sign here!