One positive, two negatives as Newcastle ‘bid’ for Serie A winger revealed
Reports in Italy claim Newcastle United have made a bid to buy Roma winger Carles Perez but face competition from two Serie A clubs.
The Magpies have yet to bring in any new players this summer although a move for Joe Willock appears close. A fee in the region of £25m has been agreed with Arsenal and all that remains is to come to an agreement over personal terms. And it seems as though manager Steve Bruce may be looking for a quick double strike.
The link to Perez emerged earlier this week and it was thought a loan bid was being prepared. However, Sportitalia (via Football Italia) are reporting that the Tynesiders want him on a permanent basis.
They suggest the north-east outfit have offered €10m for the former Barcelona star. That may be a stumbling block as Roma paid Barca around €12m for the Spaniard in 2020.
He was initially taken on loan before the move became permanent. Stadio Olimpico boss Jose Mourinho is looking to sell a few players to make way for new signings.
But it is not known if Newcastle’s offer will be sufficient to get a deal over the line. Owner Mike Ashley is not one to readily throw money about and so Bruce will be hoping for a positive outcome.
He has an excellent relationship with Mourinho, having faced the Portuguese tactician many times in the Premier League. It remains to be seen if that has any bearing on the possible transfer but it certainly should help.
Italian clubs have eyes on Perez
Perez came up through the Barcelona youth ranks before featuring for the club’s B team. He made his first-team debut in May 2019 and enjoyed 12 outings in all competitions during the first half of 2019-2020.
But he left for the Eternal City in January 2020, hoping to see more action. The former Spain Under-21 ace has made 35 Serie A appearances during his 18 months at the club.
However, only 11 of those have been starts. Able to play as a winger or in central midfield, Perez bagged three goals in all competitions last term.
It has been reported that he does not feature in Mourinho’s plans and that is a bonus for Newcastle. However, Serie A clubs Genoa and Torino have also been linked with a loan deal.
It may come down to whether the Giallorossi want an injection of cash now. They might be prepared to wait to see if his value rises and a loan would be the obvious course of action.
READ MORE: Arsenal clarify defender’s role as two Premier League rivals explore deal
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