Newcastle keen on £50m+ goalscoring midfielder; he's a major target for Howe

Newcastle United have now identified “sensational” £50m+ midfielder as a major summer transfer target by Eddie Howe, according to a report.

Magpies set sights on new midfielder

The players responsible for ending Newcastle’s 70-year trophy drought have etched themselves into folklore forever, but with a Champions League campaign potentially on the horizon, Howe will feel a need to improve his squad in the summer transfer window.

The manager is relatively well-stocked in central midfield, but with doubts over the futures of Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali, at least one new addition may be needed, and Girona midfielder Yangel Herrera has recently emerged as a target.

Herrera has often featured in a defensive role throughout his career, but there are signs the Magpies could look at bringing in a midfielder with more of an attacking mindset, having now joined the race for Manchester City’s James McAtee.

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The Magpies have expressed an interest in signing a Premier League attacker this summer.

Should Howe’s side qualify for the Champions League, it may also be wise to bring in an attacking midfielder with experience in the elite competition, and they have now set their sights on a player who has performed very well in Europe this season.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Newcastle are now keen on signing Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott, with Howe clearly a big fan of the Englishman, having personally identified him as a major summer target.

Elliott has found it difficult to break into the Liverpool starting XI this season, which means a summer exit could be on the cards, but he will not come cheap, with Wolverhampton Wanderers reportedly planning an offer worth in excess of £50m.

“Sensational” Elliott could ignite career at St. James’ Park

The midfielder has impressed for Liverpool in the past, having been lauded as “sensational” by football writer Leanne Prescott, but he has only played a sporadic role in the Reds’ title triumph this season, making 15 Premier League appearances.

Given that the London-born maestro is now 22-years-old and yet to receive an England cap, it could well be time to leave the Reds for the good of his career, and he has proven he has what it takes to perform at the top level with his performances in the Champions League.

The former Fulham man scored three goals in five Champions League outings, most notably bagging a late winner in the first leg of his side’s round of 16 clash against Paris Saint-Germain.

While game time has been hard to come by, the Liverpool ace has certainly made the most of his limited opportunities, ranking incredibly highly across a number of key metrics over the past year, when compared with his positional peers in the ‘big five’ European leagues.

Elliott is showing signs he could go on to be a top player, but he needs regular game time to make that a reality, so a move to Newcastle could make perfect sense this summer.