Newcastle eye move to sign Nike-sponsored star in possible club-record deal

1. Newcastle United have been named as one of the clubs tracking a rising star in what could turn out to be a record deal for the Magpies this summer.

Magpies may require midfield rebuild

After a disappointing season under Eddie Howe, Newcastle could be busy this summer and the focus could well be midfield.

With the Premier League’s financial fair play rules continuing to loom large, there is speculation that Bruno Guimaraes may be the crown jewel sacrificed ahead of the new campaign, with the Brazilian having a £100m release clause in his contract and attracting interest from across Europe.

There is also concern over Joelinton, whose contract runs out in 2025 as things stand, leaving this summer as the last chance to receive a fee for the ex-Hoffenheim man, whose absence through injury has coincided with Howe’s side’s poor form.

However, despite all the concern with financial fair play, Newcastle continue to be linked with big-money moves for new additions this summer. Should there be money to play with, the Magpies may have already found a way to spend it.

Record signing on the way?

The latest man to be tied to Tyneside is Ukrainian starlet and Nike-sponsored man Georgiy Sudakov, who is garnering high praise across Europe.

Already capped 12 times for the Ukraine, the 21-year-old has been a regular for Shakhtar Donetsk this season, starting all eight of their games across the Champions League and Europa League.

Now, TuttoJuve journalist Mirko Di Natale has claimed that Newcastle are one of five English clubs keeping tabs on Sudakov. The Magpies, along with Arsenal, Liverpool and both Manchester clubs have ‘requested information’ on the youngster ahead of a potential summer move.

A midfielder by trade, he is on the watchlist of plenty of Europe’s elite, and has already admitted that the club has turned down offers for him to move away from Ukraine.

[Shakhtar director] Sergei Anatolyevich Palkin informed me about offers from Juventus and Napoli. Shakhtar rejected Napolis €40m bid”, he explained.

However, he has been given a promise that he will be able to leave in the next two transfer windows, and that played into his new contract being signed.

“I was a little upset at the beginning [that I wasn’t sold], but then I understood the club. I still haven’t given my all and the club want to get as much money as possible from my sale,” said Sudakov

“Therefore, I agreed to extend it by six more months until winter 2028 because the previous agreement was valid until summer. Palkin has said I can go to Europe in six months or a year and trust him and the President.”

As Napoli’s rejected bid shows though, he won’t come cheap. According to Di Natale, his release clause will likely have to be met, which sits in excess of 100m euros (£85m). That would make Sudakov comfortably Newcastle’s record signing, surpassing the £58m that they shelled out for Alexander Isak in 2022.

Of course, they are not the only side keen on his signature, but should they find themselves with a gaping hole in midfield and funds raised from a big sale, Sudakov could find himself tempted with the promise of regular Premier League minutes.