Newcastle, Everton locked into furious race for ‘standout’ Italian midfielder with 11 G/A this season | OneFootball

Newcastle United, Everton, and Chelsea are among several Premier League clubs are circling highly-rated Italy Under-21s midfielder Issa Doumbia, with the Venezia star emerging as one of the most in-demand talents ahead of the summer window.

The 22-year-old has been a standout performer in Serie B this season, registering six goals and five assists from central midfield.

Known for his physical presence and ability to dominate games in the middle of the park, Doumbia’s rise has caught the attention of top clubs across Europe.

TEAMtalk sources have confirmed that Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, and Brighton have all watched him in recent months and are showing interest. This is particularly interesting, given that each club are expected to lose a key central midfielder in the upcoming window.

Doumbia is viewed as a player capable of stepping in and making an immediate impact and intermediaries have confirmed there is a growing interest in him from within the Premier League.

Interest is not limited to England, however. The Friedkin Group are understood to be doing extensive background work on the midfielder, with both Roma and Everton emerging as potential destinations within their multi-club network.

Chelsea’s ownership group, BlueCo, are also firm admirers. While a move to Strasbourg has been discussed as part of their development pathway, there remains a possibility that Doumbia could ultimately be integrated into Chelsea’s first-team plans over the longer term.

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Premier League suitors face competition for Italian maestro

Across the continent, Serie A giants Napoli, Inter Milan and AC Milan are all tracking Doumbia’s progress closely, while Portuguese heavyweights Benfica and Sporting are also in the race.

The Italian youngster has played a leading role in Venezia’s season, which sees them sit top of the Serie B table and on track for automatic promotion to the top flight.

Doumbia generally plays in a box-to-box midfield role, but is also effective in defensive midfield, and his versatility is one of the attributes that has put clubs on alert.

With his contract running until 2029, and Venezia set to be promoted, the club are in a fairly strong negotiating position to demand a sizeable fee for his services.

But with clubs in the Premier League and across Europe circling, a high-profile move for Doumbia this summer is looking increasingly likely.