Newcastle in advanced talks for "very intelligent" player in 50m transfer

Newcastle United are reportedly in advanced talks to sign a £50m Premier League ace in the coming transfer window as they look to bolster their ranks under Eddie Howe following a tricky start to the season.

Newcastle continue winless run

A narrow 1-0 defeat to Brighton made it four Premier League games without a win for Newcastle United, as they lost ground on the early Premier League leaders. The Magpies have lost two and drawn two since they beat Wolves a month ago, though they did edge past Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup in that time.

It is a result that has left them in eighth place, five points off a top-four spot and a return to Champions League football after their disappointing finish last time around.

Following a summer that was difficult for the club with financial fair play pressures and a failure to attract any truly big names to the club as they did 12 months previously with Sandro Tonali, and with concern over the relationship between manager Eddie Howe and Director of Football Paul Mitchell, it has not been an enjoyable campaign start at St James’ Park.

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The Newcastle ace struggled against Brighton

But Howe remained upbeat, saying after the defeat that he sees signs of improvement in his side even in their tricky spell of results.

“I thought it was a vast improvement overall in terms of performance from the start of the season, and I think we’re gathering in terms of our overall level, it’s just we’re not totally clicking in every area. And of course to win games at this level, you need all guns firing.”

Nonetheless, new faces could be needed to continue their progression towards the Premier League elite, and now they may have identified their next addition.

Newcastle in advanced talks for Premier League winger

That is according to reports coming out from Spain, which claim that Newcastle United are “in fairly advanced negotiations” to sign Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo.

The Cherries forward has enjoyed an excellent start to the campaign, scoring three times and grabbing an assist in his seven outings, and appears destined to leave the Vitality Stadium sooner rather than later amid growing interest.

Indeed, his massive improvement in recent months has been hailed by Football Analyst Ben Mattinson on X, who dubbed him a “very intelligent” player who has “improved so much” under Andoni Iraola on the south coast.

According to the report, Arsenal, Newcastle and Tottenham are among those eyeing up a move for the winger, who plays predominantly on the right side of attack, a position that Bournemouth were keen to strengthen over the summer.

However, it is Howe’s side who have taken the next step and are the most advanced to sign him, though no side has yet made any “concrete” approach to the Cherries.

It is suggested that any signing could “reach £50m plus bonuses”, a move that would be among the most expensive in Newcastle’s history. However, with the winger still just 24 years old and likely to improve further, he could fit their recruitment strategy and may well be the man who finally gets Howe’s side back to the top echelons of the Premier League.