Newcastle United are interested in Atletico Madrid’s Brazil international Renan Lodi, who is open to a move to the north-east to join Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton in the club’s growing South American contingent.
Lodi is 24 and highly-rated, although he missed the last six games of the La Liga season. He shares an agent with Guimaraes, who has been a hugely successful signing after joining from Lyon, and Diego Carlos, the Sevilla defender who was a Newcastle target in January.
He is desperate to make the Brazil World Cup squad, having missed out on selection since a call-up in November.
Atletico are understood to be open to selling him at the right price, and the La Liga club have cordial relations with Newcastle after Kieran Trippier’s move in January. The two clubs are apart on valuation at the moment, and the Magpies have other options to fill one of the vacancies they have prioritised this summer.
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Aston Villa’s Matt Targett is another alternative, having just enjoyed an excellent loan spell at St James’ Park. But Eddie Howe has been circumspect on the player’s future and Newcastle are looking at alternatives who can replicate the attacking impact of Trippier in a right wing-back role.
A fee has already been agreed with Villa for Targett, but Howe refused to be drawn on the next move after the defeat of Burnley on Sunday.
“I think it’s a difficult one to give any direction on, in respect to his club. So we’ll wait and see,” he said.
Newcastle are prioritising a striker and have senior backroom staff have spent time in France as recently as last week in an indication that the club are once again looking to Ligue 1 for potential recruits.
While Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Darwin Nunez are on their wishlist, the latter is waiting for Champions League interest with Manchester United having scouted him extensively. There are some doubts among Newcastle’s recruitment team about Calvert-Lewin, who had a mixed season for Everton.
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The club have been keen to replicate Aston Villa’s quick start to the transfer window but are sticking to the parameters of their budget. Newcastle have made it clear it will be a summer of evolution rather than revolution, with a few key additions rather than wholesale changes.
The Magpies will also utilise the loan market again, although it is expected that any deals struck will include provision to turn the deal into a permanent one.
Meanwhile, Sean Longstaff has signed a new three-year contract at the club after ending the season in a starting role.
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