Newcastle United is continuing to explore expensive attacking additions in the final days of the transfer window, with Matthias Jaissle still pushing for more creativity after the arrival of midfielder Nico Gonzalez.
Lille’s Matias Fernandez-Pardo and Stuttgart’s Bilal El Khannouss have emerged as the No. 1 and No. 2 targets for the Magpies, respectively, but Newcastle has apparently explored another ambitious option nobody knew could have landed in Tyneside.
According to Sacha Tavolieri, the Magpies
were prepared to spend as much as €70 million (£60.5 million) on Como attacking midfielder Martin Baturina, going as far as submitting the bid to the Serie A side.
“Martin Baturina will stay at Como 1907 this season,” Tavolieri reported. “The Croatian midfielder was highly sought-after on the market, with offers from Newcastle and Aston Villa.”
According to Tavolieri, both Premier League clubs reached the same substantial valuation for the 23-year-old, but Como wasn’t willing to sanction Baturina’s exit.
“Both English clubs were ready to offer up to €70M for Baturina, but Como considered him untouchable,” Tavolieri reported.
That stance effectively closes another potential avenue for Newcastle as Tuesday’s deadline approaches. Baturina joined Como from Dinamo Zagreb last summer and immediately established himself in Italy, scoring eight goals and adding four assists across 32 appearances during his debut campaign.
The Croatia international primarily operates as an attacking midfielder but can also play from the left, fitting the versatile profile of player Newcastle has been targeting for years on end.
Tribuna reported in July that Como had placed a €75-80 million (£64-69 million) valuation on Baturina, whose market valuation sits at €45 million. Como, led by manager Cesc Fabregas, reportedly considers the midfielder essential, with Tavolieri stating definitively that Baturina will remain in Italy this season.
For Newcastle, the reported willingness to reach €70 million is nevertheless another indication of how aggressively the club is searching for a major attacking addition. With Baturina seemingly removed from consideration, attention will return to Fernandez-Pardo, El Khannouss and the other alternatives being worked on behind the scenes.
Would you have gone as high as €80 million for Baturina, or should Newcastle use that money to close a deal for one of its other targets? Let us know in the comments section below.
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account at Coming Home Newcastle and get:
- Create community posts on The Feed for everyone to read
- Comment on all articles and community posts
- Rec comments and community posts
- Enjoy a new, improved notifications system
- Fewer ads
