Newcastle United ‘step up’ their pursuit of £55m La Liga superstar that is proven in the Premier League

Newcastle United’s PIF takeover in October 2021 has sparked wholesale changes throughout the first team squad, but the one position that the Magpies have failed to strengthen for more than 36 months has been the right side of attack.

As it stands, Eddie Howe has just Jacob Murphy and Miguel Almiron at his disposal; two players that were signed more than two years before the Saudi takeover, and in Murphy’s case more than four years before Mike Ashley’s eventual sale of the club.

The duo have both been excellent servants for Newcastle and have played their part in helping the club transition from relegation strugglers to European contenders.

However, it remains the only area of the pitch that Newcastle have failed to evolve, which comes as a particular frustration to many supporters after the sale of youngster Yankuba Minteh to Brighton without the Gambian ever playing a single game on Tyneside.

Newcastle did work to try and address this on deadline day with a last minute attempt to sign ex-Manchester United ace Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest, but after that failed £35m approach is expected in the coming weeks that the North East giants will ramp up their efforts to secure a new marquee signing in that area in January. One player that has been heavily linked, according to reports from Football365 is Brazilian international Raphinha of Barcelona.

The former Leeds United playmaker admitted he was close to leaving Barcelona in the summer after a complicated period behind the scenes which saw him linked with various clubs in Saudi Arabia and England. Ultimately nobody was able to meet Barcelona’s asking price and as it stands, the 27-time international remains a key part of Hansi Flick’s side, scoring an impressive three goals in his opening four league matches.

However, Barcelona’s main target remains Spain sensation Nico Williams of Athletic Bilbao and it is suspect that they may look to sell Raphinha to try and fund a potential deal in January.

The Magpies were heavily impacted by Financial Fair Play in the summer, but did show they were willing to spend towards the end of the window after failed bids of upwards of £60m for Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace.

Football 365 understands that Newcastle have said ‘ yes’ to Barcelona’s asking price of around £46m and are pushing to strike a deal in the coming months. Raphinha is Premier League proven from his time with Leeds United and registered an impressive 11 goals and three assists in the league in his final season in England before moving to Catalonia.