Newcastle United consider swoop for ‘£71m’ midfielder as Toon ‘pull plug’ on striker raid

Newcastle United walk away from Youssoufa Moukoko deal and plot Manuel Ugarte swoop.
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Newcastle United will hoping to build on their midweek Carabao Cup success with a positive result against West Ham on Saturday evening. The Magpies secured their spot at Wembley on Tuesday evening, and will be hoping to close the gap on second-placed Manchester City to just three points with a win over the struggling Hammers.

Before that, however, there is still plenty of transfer speculation to work through. With that in mind, here are Saturday’s Toon-related rumours...

Toon pull plug on Moukoko deal

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Newcastle United ‘pulled the plug’ on talks to sign Borussia Dortmund sensation Youssoufa Moukoko last month, according to Football Insider. The Magpies catapulted themselves into pole position to sign the teenage striker despite strong competition from free-spending Chelsea.

As per this fresh update, Eddie Howe’s men were closing on an agreement with Dortmund, while the player himself was also open to the prospect of a transfer to the North East. United opted to walk away from the deal, however, with Moukoko instead signing a new contract in Germany.

Magpies target Ugarte

Newcastle United are considering a summer move for Sporting midfielder Manuel Ugarte, but the Portuguese giants are likely to resist any approach. According to Record, the 21-year-old has‘caught the eye’ of a number of sides this season, with the Magpies representing the latest in a long line of suitors keeping tabs on his situation.

Sporting are understandably reluctant to lose such an influential talent, and are eager to reward the player with a new contract in Portugal. Ugarte is reportedly open to the prospect of a renewed deal, but is said to be less enthusiastic about the proposed release clause it would include, which could be as high as £71 million.