Newcastle ‘submit £21.5m bid’ for hugely exciting first summer signing – report | OneFootball

Newcastle United could reportedly hand a major blow to Arsenal after ‘submitting’ an opening bid for an exciting Gunners target, according to reports.

The Magpies have endured a largely disappointing season and the future of manager Eddie Howe has been brought into question, but they still have some ambitious plans for the summer.

Investing in talented youngsters is one of the club’s key aims and reports suggest they have set their sights on Palmeiras’ 16-year-old forward Eduardo Conceicao.

According to a report from RTI Esporte, as cited by Sport Witness, Newcastle have ‘submitted an offer worth around £21.5m’ (€24.6m / $28.4m) for Conceicao.

The teenager, who can play as a striker or winger on either flank, has impressed hugely for Palmeiras’ under-20s side, notching five goals in 13 appearances so far. If he continues on his current trajectory, Conceicao looks set to become world-class.

Separate reports add that Palmeiras have already rejected two offers from unnamed English clubs, with one proposal reaching close to £26m including bonuses.

Premier League sides have been tracking Conceicao closely, and many scouts were in attendance to watch him at the Brazilian Youth Cup in January. Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea were all heavily linked with him at the time, but now Newcastle have allegedly made their move.

Newcastle must increase offer for Brazilian starlet

Newcastle’s opening bid is said to have been swiftly rejected by Palmeiras, who are demanding much more to sell Conceicao.

Despite his young age the attacker has a €100million (£87.2m / $115.4m) release clause in his contract, though it’s suggested that €40million (£34.9m / $46.1m) would be enough to get him.

Newcastle are clearly big admirers of Conceicao, but putting aside his potential, it would be a big risk to splash such a sum on an unproven youngster.

The Magpies are in desperate need of new signings that immediately improve their starting XI if they are to compete towards the top of the Premier League again.

Given the poor impact of Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade this season a new striker signing is likely, but bringing in a 16-year-old wouldn’t solve their problems.

With this in mind, it will be interesting to see if Newcastle return with an improved bid for Conceicao.

It’s also worth noting that while widespread interest in the Brazilian is no doubt true, no other outlets have backed up the Newcastle ‘offer’ claim, so they need to be taken with a pinch of salt, for now.

Latest Newcastle news: Leeds star targeted / Tonali update

Meanwhile, TEAMtalk correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, has confirmed in an update today that Newcastle are considering a move for Leeds centre-back Pascal Struijk.

However, the Magpies face competition, in particular from Aston Villa, who are preparing to launch a bid in the region of £25million this summer.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Manchester United view Newcastle star Sandro Tonali as a key target as they look to reinforce their midfield.

But the journalist notes that the Red Devils will not pay crazy money for the Italian, and we understand Newcastle will demand a minimum of £80million to even consider a sale.