Newcastle United are one of the favourites to sign Brazilian international Danilo, according to Inside Futbol (via FogaoNET).
The Botofogo midfielder had an impressive season for his club and was one of the stars for Brazil in the World Cup.
The former Nottingham Forest player is seen as a potential replacement for Bruno Guimarães by the St James’ Park hierarchy.
Newcastle “Strongest Placed” To Sign Danilo
Inside Futbol are reporting that Newcastle are “strongest placed” to sign Danilo, despite interest from other clubs.
The Magpies have been tracking the 25-year-old since May but have stepped up their pursuit since the news broke that Guimarães wanted to move to Arsenal.
Danilo signed for Botofogo last summer in an £18m deal, and his contract runs until 2029.
He is valued at €33m (£28m) on Sofascore, although given the length of his contract, Botofogo will probably want more than that.
Danilo played 12 times in the Brasileirão Betano, scoring seven times and making two assists.
He also suffered a few injuries, most notably a two month layoff from the end of November last year to mid-January this year.
He did well at Forest, making 62 appearances, scoring six goals with four assists. His spell at the City Ground was also disrupted by injury. He broke his ankle just six minutes into Forest’s opening game against AFC Bournemouth in 2024, which put him on the sidelines for months.
He became a key player for Forest, and his box-to-box runs and creativity made him a fan favourite.
With Guimarães’ future increasingly uncertain, Newcastle want to bolster their midfield options.
They have signed midfielders Bazoumana Touré from Hoffenheim and Sean Steur from Ajax, but they are young and untested in the Premier League. Danilo offers that bit of experience and would add much-needed depth to the squad.
Who Else Wants To Sign Him?
The problem for Newcastle is that plenty of other clubs are also in the race.
Inside Futbol reported in May that Manchester United were interested. They have recently signed Andrey Santos, and with Youri Tielemans expected to follow Santos to Old Trafford, a deal for Danilo may be on the back burner.
Chelsea and Arsenal are the latest names to be linked with him, according to Brazilian media outlet FogãoNET. They also report that Galatasaray are keen on him, too.
Danilo is keeping his options open, having already turned down a move to Zenit St Petersburg.
It will be tough for Newcastle to sign him, but if they can get the deal over the line it would represent some success after missing out on other targets.
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Caroline Dowse
Caroline is the Newcastle United writer for Vital Football. She has a BA in English with Creative Writing from University Centre Peterborough, and a year's sports writing experience. Her favourite current Newcastle player is Bruno Guimaraes, favourite of all time is Alan Shearer. Her best Toon moment was the Carabao…