Newcastle ‘step up’ chase for Howe ‘wish’ despite sack talk; pose ‘biggest problem’ for Milan in transfer race | OneFootball

Jonathan David has been linked with a Premier League move.

Newcastle United are posing the ‘biggest’ issue for AC Milan as they attempt to sign Lille forward Jonathan David in the winter transfer window, according to reports.

The Magpies were unlucky to be knocked out Europe last week when they lost 2-1 at home to AC Milan in the Champions League despite dominating for large periods of the match.

A win for Newcastle could have meant progress in the competition or another chance at European glory in the Europa League but they can now concentrate on trying to finish in the top four again this season.

The Magpies were also knocked out of the League Cup on Tuesday night with Chelsea coming from a goal down in their quarter-final before beating them on penalties.

A comprehensive 3-0 victory over Fulham at the weekend has seen them up to sixth in the Premier League, though, and now the Geordies are looking ahead to the January transfer window.

Their lack of Champions League football could make it more difficult to attract players to St James’ Park in the mid-term window but Newcastle are still being linked to many players.

A report in Italian publication TuttoMercatoWeb insists that they currently pose the ‘biggest problem’ to AC Milan’s pursuit of Lille forward David.

The Canada international, who has been linked with a move to the Premier League for a while, has contributed five goals and one assist in 16 Ligue 1 matches this season.

Newcastle are putting an ‘obstacle’ in the way of Milan’s transfer business with it ‘practically impossible’ for the Serie A side to compete financially with the Premier League outfit.

Another player on the Geordies’ radar this summer is young Juventus winger Matias Soule, who is currently on loan at fellow Serie A side Frosinone, with Spanish website Fichajes claiming Newcastle are ‘stepping up their efforts’ to sign the Argentine.

Soule has contributed six goals and one assist in 14 appearances for 13th-placed Frosinone and that has attracted interest from Newcastle, as well as Premier League rivals Tottenham and Crystal Palace.

The former Argentina under-20 international is a ‘wish’ of Eddie Howe’s in the winter market and now Newcastle have ‘gained confidence in his ability to secure his signing’.

Newcastle ‘have become the favorites to complete the deal’ despite Tottenham’s ‘plan’ to make ‘a double offer in January for Soule and his teammate Samuel Iling-Junior’.

The Magpies see it as a potential ‘smart’ deal ‘that would see Soule remain on loan at Frosinone until the end of the season before joining St James’ Park next summer’.

There have been rumours that Howe could get sacked with Newcastle ‘not guaranteed to remain next season’ with a report claiming that ‘there is more pressure on Howe than many expect and that PIF do not share the view of the vast majority of the fanbase that the team has been punching well above their weight’.