Newcastle United prepare £26m bid for Leicester City and Tottenham transfer target

Newcastle United are reportedly ready to make a £26.2m offer for Fiorentina star Nico Gonzalez - but are wary of meeting the Serie A club’s valuation of the forward due to concerns over his fitness.

The Argentina international joined La Viola in a £21.5m deal from Bundesliga side Stuttgart in the summer of 2021 and has adapted well to life in Italy. A return of eight goals and nine assists in 39 appearances in all competitions provided an impressive return to his first season in Serie A as Vincenzo Italiano’s side secured qualification for this season’s Europa Conference League.

Gonzalez has endured something of an injury-disrupted season as a thigh injury has limited him to just 13 appearances and led to him missing out on a place in Argentina’s World Cup Finals squad after featuring heavily in their qualifying campaign. The 24-year-old has made a gradual return to action in recent weeks, scoring in his first appearance since October in a 2-1 home in against Sassuolo before featuring during the second-half of Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Jose Mourinho’s Roma.

With just two weeks of the transfer window remaining, Argentinian outlet Marca have claimed Leicester City and Newcastle are both ready to make offers that fall short of Fiorentina’s £35m asking price for the versatile forward. Both Premier League clubs are said to be ‘afraid to make greater economic effort’ to land the former Argentinos Juniors star as he continues his comeback from the injury that robbed him of an opportunity to feature in his country’s historic World Cup Finals win.

Fiorentina president Rocco Commisso addressed speculation over the forward’s future in a recent interview with Italia7, saying: “Nico Gonzalez? Does he stay? I think yes. The offers? It means that our players are worth it, but we must see what we (decide to) do.”

La Viola boss Italiano also commented as he told Tutto Mercato: “There is a value in Fiorentina. But I think they (the Gonzalez claims) are just rumours. I saw Nico with a great desire to return (after injury). He’s pushing hard in training. I’ve never opened up discussions, the only intention is to have Gonzalez of last year back.”

Tottenham Hotspur are also said to be long-term admirers of the the forward.