Newcastle United are destined to spend big this summer after almost virtually securing their top flight status for another season, following an impressive January transfer window and a remarkable turnaround in form under the leadership of Eddie Howe.
Aiding their rise from the bottom three to midtable, despite scoring just once in 10 appearances, is striker Chris Wood, who the Magpies signed from relegation rivals Burnley in January after activating his £25 million release clause.
And now, as reported by The Sun, the north east club will look to raid another of their relegation rivals in the summer, as they set about bringing highly-rated Watford winger Ismaila Sarr to St. James’ Park.
Sarr is arguably Watford’s best player and is one of the standout performers for clubs in the bottom half of the Premier League, but it looks as though he is set to leave Vicarage Road at the end of the season even if the Hornets manage to stay up.
The 24-year-old was signed for a club-record fee of £30m from Ligue 1 club Rennes in 2019 and has gone on to score 24 goals in 86 appearances since moving to Hertfordshire, and was an integral part of the side that won promotion from the Championship last season.
Injuries have hampered his progress this campaign, however, with just 16 appearances to his name, scoring five times, while he also scored once in three appearances for Senegal as they won the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year.
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Nonetheless, Sarr is likely to move on at the end of the current campaign, despite having two years left on his current deal, and he is set to have plenty of suitors, with Liverpool having a longstanding interest and recently sending scouts to watch him.
And with this potential competition from the Reds, Newcastle will have to make their financial backing count if they are to have any chance of luring him away from Anfield this summer.
With Watford splashing out £30m on Sarr three years ago, it is thought they will want at least £35m in return, which is a fair sum for a player of his quality - and the Magpies should have no problem matching that fee.
Howe will be desperate to heavily bolster his options this summer as Newcastle look to move away from the bottom half of the top flight and more towards the right end of the table, as they aim to become competitive in the coming seasons.
Allan Saint-Maximin is their strongest asset going forward, and Sarr would certainly be an upgrade on the likes of Ryan Fraser and Jacob Murphy on the opposing wing of Newcastle’s front three, while the futures of Miguel Almiron and Matt Ritchie are up in the air.
The Magpies may be involved in a tug-of-war for Sarr’s signature this summer but it would be a great piece of business should they succeed, although they may find that their deep pockets might not be enough to get the job done if Liverpool remain interested.
