Newcastle United 'spoken to' over interest in £50m winger to potentially replace Miguel Almiron

Newcastle United are keeping their options open as they could soon be on the market for a replacement for Miguel Almirón. The influential and versatile forward has been on the radar of the Saudi Pro League for months now and he is still attracting attention following a failed January move from Al-Shabab FC.

With doubts also hanging over Jacob Murphy’s quality within the team, the Magpies are on the market for right-sided attacking targets. A few names have been thrown into the mix and Barcelona’s Raphinha remains a figure they are linked with.

According to HITC, the former Leeds United star is ‘keen’ on returning to the Premier League this window, having been told that he is not in-line to be a starting option for Hansi Flick. Barcelona’s current starter is 17-year-old Lamine Yamal, who missed just one La Liga match last season and snatched the headlines with Spain during their Euro 2024 triumph.

With focus on Yamal more than ever thanks to his impressive European campaign, Raphinha is set for limited action with the Blaugrana and transfer links have started to ramp up again. Newcastle United, Arsenal and Chelsea were all interested in signing the Brazilian back in 2022 and they have now been ‘spoken to’ ahead of the new season.

All three Premier League clubs are looking to add right-wingers to their roster this summer, while Aston Villa, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are also in the picture.

Barcelona are reportedly demanding ‘close to £50 million’ for the sale of Raphinha. The fee plus his wages suggests that a move back to the Premier League seems the most likely outcome.

There is a lot of attention on Raphinha right now, meaning there are a number of contrasting reports. This week alone, The Mirror reported that Villa are ‘closing in’ on signing the 27-year-old. Meanwhile, other reports have quoted different asking prices for Raphinha.

However, after falling down the pecking order and with Barcelona also eyeing up a blockbuster swoop for Nico Williams, the future for Raphinha at Camp Nou is becoming less likely. What remains to be seen is whether Newcastle will be the ones to land a deal for the winger.