Newcastle United have emerged as frontrunners in the race to sign Brentford striker Igor Thiago,
The outlet wrote that “Newcastle United, Tottenham, and Aston Villa are all monitoring his situation closely,” but “Newcastle are believed to be leading the chase.”
The Magpies are reportedly preparing a €40 million bid to secure the 24-year-old Brazilian forward before rival clubs enter the race, although it’s unclear whether a move could happen in January or it will only be sanctioned during next summer’s transfer window.
Caught Offside added that the move comes as Newcastle seek attacking reinforcements following the departure of Alexander Isak.
“Although they signed Nick Woltemade in a big money move in the summer transfer window, they need more attackers to provide manager Eddie Howe the best platform to perform well this season,” the report stated.
Tottenham are said to be exploring a transfer with a different structure, considering getting the forward on a loan deal with a €35 million obligatory clause to buy him in the summer and performance-related add-ons. Aston Villa also remain in the mix but are yet to make a concrete offer.
Despite the mounting interest, Brentford remain under no financial pressure to sell. Caught Offside noted that the Bees “have no desire to sell their star striker,” who joined from Club Brugge for €33 million last year and is under contract until 2029.
Thiago had scored six goals in nine Premier League matches entered last weekend, making him a focal point of Brentford’s attack after the departures of Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa.
If Newcastle move swiftly with their €40 million offer, they could close the deal before Tottenham or Villa escalate their pursuit, but nothing seems to be imminent at this point.
Originally published at:Yahoo Sports
Source: Yahoo Sports
Leave a Reply