Newcastle United face wait to open talks over signing of £31.2m wonderkid

Newcastle United have reportedly been told they face a delay in their bid for Brazilian wonderkid Andrey Santos.

The Magpies were one of several clubs said to be monitoring the progress of the Vasco da Gama youngster after he broke into their first team over the last 12 months.

The 18-year-old made his debut as a substitute in a 3-0 defeat at Londrina-PR last November and has now established himself as a key player in the Vasco lineup.

A 90-minute display in last week’s defeat at Cruziero took Santos up to 30 appearances for the Serie B club and he has added goals to his game this season, finding the net on six occasions in 26 games.

His form has captured the attention of a number of top tier clubs in Brazil and there are several potential suitors in Europe, with Newcastle believed to be keen on securing a deal to bring Santos to Tyneside in the near-future.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano gave an update on United’s attempt to sign the youngster, saying: “Newcastle are monitoring Brazilian top talent Andrey Santos since long time but there’s still no agreement in place with Vasco da Gama. Nothing done, as things stand.”

However, Brazilian outlet Globo Esporto have now gone a step further, suggesting talks over the move have ‘gone cold’ and suggested Vasco are ‘closed for sales’ until the end of their league season as they aim to secure a return to the top tier.

That means the Magpies may have to wait until December to continue talks over a move for the midfielder, who is believed to have a £44.7m release clause in his current contract.