Newcastle have now made a bid which would become a club-record transfer fee if the offer is accepted.
The Magpies are yet to splash the cash on a marquee arrival this summer, with Newcastle completing two free transfers in the signings of Lloyd Kelly and John Ruddy, while £28m was spent on Lewis Hall after his loan from Chelsea was made permanent.
There was also the strange £20m signing of backup goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos from Nottingham Forest – a move which seemed to be a method of navigating the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) as Elliot Anderson went the other way in a £35m deal.
Now – however – Newcastle have made a truly significant move…
Newcastle submit Arda Guler bid
A story from Defensa Central in Spain now states that Newcastle have submitted an €80m (£67.4m) bid to sign Arda Guler from Real Madrid.
The Turkey international – who Real Madrid signed from Fenerbahce for €20m (£16.8m) back in July 2023 – rose to stardom in his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu, impressively scoring six goals across just four starts in La Liga.
Guler also became an international sensation thanks to his efforts at UEFA Euro 2024 this summer, scoring one goal and providing two assists in five appearances as Turkey reached the quarter-final.
Defensa Central believe Real Madrid adore the 19-year-old and Carlo Ancelotti is willing to hand him a more important role in the side this season.
Despite that stance, Newcastle are desperate to sign Guler, and are even willing to shatter the current £63m club-record fee which was spent to land Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad in August 2022 to get a deal done.
Eddie Howe clearly wants a certain type of player
Newcastle currently own two incredible options on the left flank, with Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes – two of England’s best wide forwards – available in that area.
However, Eddie Howe lacks a similarly effective option on the other flank.
Newcastle were keen to sign Michael Olise to improve the right wing before his move from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich, and in Guler, the Magpies are now bidding for a very similar attacker, one who loves to cut inside from the right on his stronger left foot.
Tellingly, Rio Ferdinand even described Guler as a combination of Phil Foden and Luka Modric – which is quite the statement.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, the 45-year-old said: “I liken him more to maybe a Modric type, when Modric was younger, and then he could develop because he is just as good at getting the ball off the centre-back deep like a six as he is getting the ball in the No.10 area – as you saw in the game where he banged in a goal.
“That’s all just down to being press resistant as well, but his left foot man, he even sometimes looks a little bit like Phil Foden. It just depends where you catch him on the pitch, but he can take the ball anywhere on that pitch and come out the other end of it. He’s just a little magician, a little magician, and he’s another one who is going to be around for years.”
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Be sure to keep an eye on this situation – if Newcastle can lure the Turkish wonderkid away from Real Madrid this summer, it would be a statement signing in every sense of the phrase.