Newcastle United linked with Brazilian ‘Busquets’ amid Champions League interest

Newcastle United have reportedly contacted Brazilian club Vasco da Gama over a possible deal for young midfielder Andrey Santos.

However, the Magpies face major competition with Barcelona, AC Milan and Benfica also said to be ‘keeping tabs’ on the 18-year-old.

It is not the first time a Premier League club have been linked with a move for Santos after Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte reported Wolverhampton Wanderers are keen on the youngster.

Vasco da Gama currently compete in Brazil’s second tier but a report in TNT Sports has confirmed Santos has now penned a new five-year deal with the club as they look to fight off interest from Europe.

Newcastle are mentioned as a possible destination for one of Vasco’s ‘great jewels’ - although no fee has been mentioned.

After progressing from the academy setup in January, Santos has scored five goals in 26 appearances for his side and his performances have led to comparisons with Barcelona and Spain midfielder Sergio Busquets.

Former Brazil star Juninho Pernambucano praised the youngster recently, telling the Resenha Loading YouTube channel: “Physically, he is a monster.

“Without the ball, his participation in the game is total. I wanted to see his GPS, because he doesn’t stop! And technically, he’s way above the others.

“He’s not going to be better than me, he’s going to be much better than me. He is a much more complete player. At 18, I didn’t play half as much as he does, I’m not ashamed to say that.”

Santos is not the first Brazilian youngster said to be on United’s radar after the Magpies were linked with Santos forward Angelo Gabriel and Flamengo’s Victor Hugo.