Newcastle have intensified their efforts to sign Dusan Vlahovic | OneFootball

Newcastle United are positioning themselves to sign Juventus centre-forward Dusan Vlahovic as he approaches free agency.

The Magpies have significantly intensified their efforts to bring the Serbian international to St James’ Park.

Manager Eddie Howe is keen to add elite, physical firepower to his frontline to bolster his goalscoring options as Newcastle target a return to European football.

They finished 12th in the 2025/26 campaign and face a mass exodus of key players. Anthony Gordon has already left for Barcelona, while Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes are currently being courted by Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, respectively.

Newcastle have stepped up direct contact with Vlahovic’s entourage. The initial discussions have been highly encouraging.

The 26-year-old, who has previously been dubbed ‘a better player than (Erling Braut) Haaland’, is now seriously evaluating a move to England.

With Vlahovic entering the final stages of his lucrative contract in Turin, the Newcastle recruitment team is eager to exploit this window of opportunity.

Juventus are ready to part ways with Vlahovic to reduce the club’s hefty wage bill, freeing up more financial resources for summer acquisitions.

The Serie A giants are already actively monitoring several replacement profiles to spearhead their new-look attack, with Randal Kolo Muani firmly on their shortlist.

Newcastle are not the only club interested in Vlahovic. Besiktas are also keen on a swoop, although it is unclear whether he is open to a move to Turkey.

Signing Vlahovic would be a statement of intent for Newcastle despite his recent injury woes. He scored seven goals in just 976 minutes of league action last season.