Newcastle United have earmarked an unlikely midfield candidate this summer in Atletico Madrid's Marcos Llorente, and manager Eddie Howe is hoping to bring him to the Premier League.
What's the latest on Marcos Llorente to Newcastle?
That's following revelations from Spanish sources claiming that Llorente has been deemed dispensable at the Wanda Metropolitano and is consequently attracting interest from a smorgasbord of outfits across the globe – including the Magpies.
The piece notes that the one-time Real Madrid man – who is also attracting interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia – has 'received an offer' from those at St James' Park.
A possible fee has not been mentioned in the report, though last season Liverpool were vying for the 28-year-old's signature and a valuation of £35m had been touted.
Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE..
Newcastle have already signed playmaker Sandro Tonali from AC Milan for £55m this summer but Howe could be seeking to continue the upgrades on the Tyneside team ahead of an exciting campaign fuelled by a return to the Champions League after two decades away.
How good is Marcos Llorente?
Newcastle's transfer strategy under Dan Ashworth, following the lucrative PIF club takeover in 2021, has been nothing short of exemplary.
Ashworth and Howe have combined to create a high-octane outfit with an embedded winning mentality, and it shows – the Magpies finished fourth in the Premier League last season and reached the Carabao Cup final, with the upward trajectory showing little sign of slowing.
Bruno Guimaraes and Tonali have been the standout midfield signings, the former playing a central role from the new-look team's genesis – joining from Lyon for £40m in January 2022.
Llorente would be an interesting investment, having scored 21 goals and supplied 23 assists from 150 outings for Atletico, while winning the 20/21 La Liga title.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 3% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 5% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, which illustrates the impact he could have, surging into promising areas and using his aptitude as a midfield vehicle to emphatic effect.
He also completed 86% of his passes in LaLiga last term, averaging 1.4 key passes and 1.5 tackles per match, as per Sofascore, and it is little wonder talent scout Jacek Kulig has waxed lyrical and proclaimed: "Marcos Llorente has become an incredible footballer."
If Howe does decide to forge ahead with a transfer, he could replicate his successful former foray into Atletico's transfer pool when he procured right-back Kieran Trippier at the same time as Guimaraes, spearheading the remarkable ascent to success.
Trippier signed from the Spanish side for £12m and has since made 53 appearances, scoring two goals, supplying ten assists and earning praise for being a "revelation" at St. James's Park by talkSPORT's Simon Jordan
The 32-year-old ranks among the top 13% of positional peers for assists, the top 1% for shot-creating actions and the top 5% for progressive passes per 90, illustrating just how important he has been to the offensive fluidity of this Magpies team as they took flight under Howe's stewardship.
Llorente would enter the fray at a time when Newcastle have now established themselves, but the cementation of this newfound stature is paramount and, as such, his signing could prove to be another stroke of genius of the same branch, with Howe and Ashworth seemingly holding the formula for success on the transfer front.