‘Not The Ideal Next Step’ – Newcastle United Target Turns Down FC Porto | OneFootball

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Newcastle United have received a significant boost in their pursuit of Wilfried Singo after the defender turned down a move to Portuguese giants FC Porto.

St James’ Park recently saw experienced right-back Kieran Trippier depart for Wolves, creating the need for another body in the position, despite the presence of Tino Livramento.

Eddie Howe’s side have been exploring several options to strengthen the right side of their defence in the now open summer transfer window.

One player they looked into was Atalanta full-back Marco Palestra, but the Italian appears destined for Inter Milan rather than Tyneside after showing little enthusiasm towards a move.

Fellow Atalanta defender Raul Bellanova has also emerged as a candidate, although Newcastle are far from alone in their admiration of the Italian.

Singo, who is on the books at Galatasaray, is another right-back Newcastle have been heavily linked with in recent weeks.

The 25-year-old was already attracting attention from English clubs back in 2022, although those links never developed into anything concrete.

Now Newcastle have been handed an encouraging development, with Singo having ‘turned down’ an approach from Porto as both the player and his entourage believe the Portuguese league is ‘not the ideal next step’ in his career, according to African outlet 225foot.

The Portuguese giants put together an attractive package, offering a guaranteed starting role, a leading position in their Champions League project and an ‘intensity style of play’ considered perfectly suited to the Ivorian’s qualities, but it ultimately failed to convince him.

Crucially for Newcastle, Singo is open to leaving Istanbul and has given ‘absolute priority’ to a move to either the Premier League or Serie A, with clubs from both leagues already having ‘expressed interest’ in his services.

Having already built a strong reputation during his spell at Torino, a return to Italy cannot be discounted and remains a potential obstacle for Newcastle to overcome should they formalise their interest.

For now, however, the defender’s focus remains on the World Cup, where he provided the assist for Manchester United star Amad Diallo’s winning goal against Ecuador in the Ivory Coast’s opening fixture.

Galatasaray are under little pressure to sell, with four years still remaining on Singo’s contract, while a strong World Cup campaign could further increase his market value.

An additional attraction for Newcastle is Singo’s versatility, with the Ivorian capable of playing on the right flank as well as in central defence, something that could prove valuable given their search for a centre-back.

Among the names on Newcastle’s centre-back shortlist are Evan Ndicka and Brazilian Viery, but competition for both remains strong.