Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe might not have got what he wanted in the summer but it looks like the club are winning the race for one of Europe’s top young talents.
The Magpies had financial issues in the summer which saw players like Elliott Anderson and Yankuba Minteh depart.
In return, Newcastle didn’t bring in the players they wanted to either, with Lewis Hall making his move permanent and young players like Will Osula joining.
However, while Howe didn’t get his wish in the summer, it now looks like Newcastle will at least be in the mix to sign one a teenage talent in January.
Newcastle winning race to sign Ibrahim Maza
According to a report from CaughtOffside, Newcastle feel they are ahead of the rest when it comes to signing young playmaker Ibrahim Maza.
The report claims that the Magpies have once again watched Maza this week and crucially, they feel they were the only club to make a follow up trip.
Of course, Newcastle have scouted Maza previously but this new information shores up the information that they are indeed keen.
For Eddie Howe, it will be a relief to see the club making moves prior to the window opening and while Maza may well not be thrust into the first XI immediately, he’s clearly a player for the future.
Still only 18, Maza is considered one of Algeria’s shining lights and has a number of clubs currently watching him play for Hertha Berlin.
Maza compared to Dominik Szoboszlai
Young players are always given a comparison somewhere along the way and Ibrahim Maza looks to have landed a nice one with Liverpool star Szoboszlai.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig makes that comparison as he features Maza as one of his talents of the day back in September of this year.
Of course, Maza has a long way to go before being dubbed a £60m midfield like Szoboszlai.
But with the signs there and the talent to burn, it does look like Newcastle will be landing a special talent if they do indeed manage to pull this one off.