Newcastle United are keeping tabs on the Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners.
A report from TuttoMercatoWeb claims that an official from Newcastle travelled to Italy last week in order to watch the 25-year-old midfielder in action and the Magpies could look to make a move for him in January.
Newcastle are looking to bring in midfield reinforcements after Sandro Tonali was banned for his involvement in an illegal betting scandal.
Koopmeiners has been a key player for Atalanta and he could prove to be a quality acquisition for Newcastle as well. Apparently, Napoli tried to sign the player for a fee of around €47 million in August but the Italian outfit turned down the approach.
The report claims that a proposal of around €50-55 million could be the key to getting the deal done. Newcastle are one of the richest clubs in the world and they have the financial resources to pay the reported asking price for the midfielder.
Signing a quality central midfielder should be a top priority for them heading into the January window. Tonali was a key player for them and his absence will come as a major blow.
The Magpies are currently competing in the UEFA Champions League and they will want to finish in the top four this season as well.
Koopmeiners could form a quality partnership with Bruno Guimaraes at the heart of Newcastle’s midfield during the second half of the season. The opportunity to move to the Premier League will be an attractive option for him and he will look to take the next step in his development.
In addition to that, Newcastle will be able to provide him with Champions League football as well.
The Dutchman certainly has the physicality and technical attributes to thrive in the Premier League and he could be a key player for Newcastle in the coming seasons.
Make sure he hasn’t a loyalty card at Ladbrokes