Newcastle United eventually completed a major midfield rebuild during the summer transfer window, but they might have whiffed on landing one of their preferred targets.
A new report from Turkey has revealed the club attempted to bring oft-linked Galatasaray midfielder Gabriel Sara to St. James’ Park before the Sept. 1 deadline.
According to Fanatik, Newcastle made an official offer for Sara during the summer, with the Brazilian being approached by several European clubs while holding an ambition to play
in the Premier League.
“Premier League clubs Fulham, Aston Villa, and Newcastle United, as well as Italian Serie A giants Napoli, made official offers for the player, who dreams of playing in the Premier League,” Fanatik reported.
None of those approaches, however, convinced Galatasaray to sell their player. According to Fanatik, the Turkish club placed a €30 million (£26 million) asking price on Sara and rejected multiple offers that eventually reached €20 million (£17.4 million). On top of that, it’s believed Galatasaray also decided to keep the midfielder to maintain the squad depth with both domestic and Champions League competitions in the Turkish side’s schedule.
Sara has started the new campaign with two goals and two assists through four league appearances, directly contributing to a goal in every match. The 27-year-old’s versatility would have provided Newcastle with another option in Matthias Jaissle’s midfield. Sara can operate as both a No. 8 and No. 10 and has formed an important partnership with Lucas Torreira at Galatasaray.
Would Sara have been worth meeting Galatasaray’s €30 million asking price, and should Newcastle reconsider him in a future window? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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