With the U-21 EUROs set to conclude this weekend, it’s thrust a number of the continent’s top young talent into the spotlight.
From our very own Tino Livramento and Will Osula, to tournament top goalscorer Nick Woltemade and future Chelsea signing Geovany Quenda, it will come as no surprise when plenty of the tournament’s best performers are the talk of big money transfers this summer.
It looks like we may soon be part of the action, as according to fresh reports, we may be eyeing up a move for a promising young winger who has shone in the ongoing tournament.
And it’ll be a familiar name to many fans, as it’s not the first time we’ve been linked with the youngster…
Newcastle United are said to be one of several European clubs interested in signing Braga and Portugal U-21 winger Roger Fernandes.
According to Portuguese outlet O Jogo, the 19-year-old is attracting serious praise following his performances in Portugal’s run to the quarter-finals of the tournament, where he bagged two assists.
O Jogo note that these performances have caused a surge of interest in the youngster, with clubs including ourselves, Manchester United and Chelsea, as well as Benfica and Atletico Madrid all named as potential suitors.
Newcastle have been linked with a move for the teenager since June 2022, when it was reported by O Jogo that Dan Ashworth was attempting to sign the youngster when he was 16.
With five goals and seven assists for Braga over the past season, he’s just shone at EURO U21 alongside Chelsea-bound Quenda.
He’d be a more costly addition, but Roger may be in a similar bracket to recent arrival Antonio Cordero should we pursue a move for the right winger.
Back in 2022, not long after our takeover, Roger was a name tenuously linked with a move to Tyneside at just 16-years-old.
We were reportedly prepared to pay close to £20m for his services, a number which has no doubt risen three years on.
Premier League rivals Brentford are said to have submitted a bid of €15m back in January, though Braga seem insistent on clubs meeting Roger’s release clause of €40m if any deal is to be struck.
But there looks to be optimism that we could negotiate a better deal with a fixed fee and bonuses, and you would hope that our previous admiration for Roger instils some good faith in the Newcastle project from the youngster’s side.
€40m would be a big chunk of our summer spending used on a player who likely won’t enter our first team for some time, so it’s quite hard to see such an expensive transfer come to fruition over the next few weeks.