Newcastle submit shock bid for Barcelona star as Hansi Flick names his price for Prem title winner

Newcastle are expected to be active in the final weeks of the transfer window and Barcelona star Ferran Torres has emerged as a target for the Magpies.

Eddie Howe is keen to bring in a new winger amid the uncertainty surrounding Miguel Almiron, who has been tipped to make a move to Saudi Arabia before the end of the month.

Almiron, 30, played a major role in Newcastle’s tremendous 2022/23 campaign that saw them finish fourth but has fallen down the pecking order and scored just three league goals last term.

The Paraguayan international featured in the Magpies’ pre-season game against Brest on Saturday, but Howe seems to prefer Jacob Murphy as his winger option.

When asked about his plans for Newcastle’s Premier League opener against Southampton, Howe said: “I need to see who is at their optimum levels, we need to be ready to go against Southampton and can’t carry anybody.

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“I think I need to assess today’s game against Brest properly. When you look at the game on Saturday you seen a team that probably wasn’t functioning as well as it can.”

But reports suggest that Newcastle want to sign a new right-sided winger to compete with Murphy and Almiron and Torres has emerged as a potential option.

Barcelona reject Newcastle bid

According to reports from Spain, Newcastle have submitted a bid for Torres in the last few days, but it has been rejected by Barcelona.

Barcelona are looking to sell players to fund their own transfer business and it’s claimed that the Magpies put forward an offer of €15m (approx. £12.8m) for Torres.

The former Manchester City man joined the Catalans in a £46m deal in January 2022. He’s made 115 appearances for them since, scoring 25 goals and making 13 assists in the process.

The meteoric rise of Lamine Yamal at the Camp Nou means that Hansi Flick is reportedly willing to sanction Torres’ exit. It’s claimed that €30m (£25.7m) would be enough to sign him this summer.

Newcastle could come back in with an improved offer for Torres in the coming weeks. They have also considered a move for his teammate Raphinha, but the ex-Man City star is a cheaper option.

Torres has plenty of experience at the highest level and scored 16 goals in 43 matches for Man City and won one Premier League title during his time at the Etihad.

He is open to returning to England and it will be interesting to see how this story progresses.

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