Newcastle United are set to lose Anthony Gordon in a mega-money deal to Barcelona in the coming days, and they have already identified one player they want to spend the cash on.
The Magpies have agreed a £70m deal with the Catalan giants for their star winger, and the England international will undergo a medical this week before putting pen-to-paper on a long-term contract worth a reported £300,000-a-week.
Eddie Howe has been planning a major rebuild of his squad for the upcoming window, after the team failed to qualify for Europe next season, and it has now emerged that he has identified at least one star he is keen to bring in using the Gordon cash.
Newcastle Ready Atta Offer
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe looks on
According to a report by Udinese Blog, Newcastle are in the race to seal a deal for midfielder Arthur Atta.
Atta, who has described himself as being a mix of Ryan Gravenberch and Kevin De Bruyne, enjoyed a fine campaign with Udinese this season, netting six goals and registering three assists in 33 appearances across all competitions.
Newcastle have been very impressed by his attributes and performances, and are understood to be willing to pay £30m to get the 23-year-old into St James' Park ahead of the competition.
However, as it stands, Udinese are holding out for around £35m to let the Frenchman leave, with Brighton and Bournemouth also understood to be showing an interest, which the Serie A side believe could trigger a bidding war to raise his price.
Napoli and Galatasaray are also believed to hold an interest in Atta, but it's Newcastle who have shown the biggest willingness to pay what it would require to get a move over the line.
Newcastle Planning for Tonali Exit With Gordon Cash
Sandro Tonali applauding the Newcastle United supporters
Newcastle are expecting strong interest in a number of their top players, and that's even after Gordon has been moved on. Sandro Tonali seems to be the most likely player to move on, amid strong interest from the likes of Man Utd and Arsenal, and he will also need to be replaced.
Reports suggest that Newcastle are looking at the likes of Mathias Fernandez-Pardo as a replacement for Gordon, but a move for Atta could see the club trying to stretch that cash to replace Tonali before he's even gone, giving them a strong negotiating position, and ensure there is no repeat of the Alexander Isak situation from last year.
Atta would be a bit of a gamble, but he clearly has quality and fits the profile of midfielder that Howe tends to like, so this is certainly one to keep an eye on.
Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon celebrates scoring vs PSV Related
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