How Newcastle are set to blow away Juventus and Tottenham to sign Vlahovic
Newcastle United are prepared to step up the Eddie Howe revolution in January when the new owners dip into the transfer market for the first time.
Armed with a bottomless war chest, the club have made Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic their number one target and haven't been put off by his asking price, according to reports.
According to Catalan outfit El Nacional, Howe is prepared to meet the €80 million price set by the Serie A side for the Serbian international.
Recently most read
Vlahovic is sparkling form for club and country
Vlahovic has been in sparkling form this term, scoring 12 times in 14 outings across all competitions.
The striker is still only 21-years-old but has 14 caps for Serbia, scoring seven times and helping them qualify for the World Cup in Qatar.
That form has seen the player courted by a host of Europe's top clubs including Barcelona, Tottenham, Atletico Madrid and Juventus.
But Newcastle hope to nip in ahead of those clubs and will not be deterred by the huge valuation.
As well as Newcastle, Tottenham and Juventus hold the biggest interest as Antonio Conte is a massive fan of the player, having witnessed first hand the damage he can cause in Serie, while Juve are desperate for a centre-forward.
Vlahovic's current contract expires in 2023 and he recently rejected a new deal offered by Fiorentina.
And the El Nacional report also cites Newcastle's willingness to offer the player a bumper deal to turn his head in their direction.
Barcelona and Juventus hopes on signing Vlahovic
Barcelona can't come anywhere near the transfer price set by Fiorentina with the club steeped in financial difficulty.
But their need for a new frontman is justified with Luuk de Jong struggling to find the net, Sergio Aguero reportedly set to retire with heart issues and Martin Braithwaite failing to be the answer.
Juventus are still confident they can lure Vlahovic to Turin and the option to stay in Italy might yet appeal to the young star.
But Newcastle fans will be encouraged and excited that their team are allegedly competing with Europe's big boys for one of the best young talents the continent has to offer.
