Newcastle United stand a good chance of landing Villarreal forward Arnaut Danjuma this summer due to his 'admiration' for former boss Eddie Howe, ChronicleLive understands. The winger has enjoyed a stellar season in La Liga with reports both at home and abroad suggesting a reunion could be on the cards on Tyneside.
Villarreal are yet to receive any offers for the 25-year-old but Danjuma's entourage have held discussions with a number of clubs in recent months as he weighs up his next move. Manchester United, Liverpool, Inter Milan, West Ham and Everton have all been touted as potential suitors.
Newcastle have the financial firepower to beat their rivals to many targets this summer but it could be the relationship with Howe that seals a deal for Danjuma, if the club decide to launch a bid for his services.
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ChronicleLive understands Danjuma still has a lot of admiration for Howe and the Newcastle backroom staff he worked closely with at Bournemouth. Sources close to the player insists the pair departed on good terms despite Howe losing his job on the south coast and the club being in a 'tough position' when they last worked together.
The Cherries lost 22 of their 38 games that season, with Danjuma failing to find the net in any of his 14 Premier League appearances as the club finished 18th in the table. The following year he scored 15 league goals in the Championship to earn himself a move abroad.
The six-time Netherlands international has since excelled for Unai Emery at Villarreal, netting 10 league goals this term despite missing 12 games through injury. He also found the net as Villarreal knocked German giants Bayern Munich out of the Champions League.
Danjuma's all-round game has improved significantly thanks to the help of his own personal trainer, personal nutritionist and individual attacking coach in Spain. He frequently stays late after training to work with Villarreal's striker coach Antonio Rodriguez and will spend hours analysing his performances after games.
That hard work means he is now one of the most sought after talents in Europe and has attracted a wealth of interest in recent months, along with the likes of Darwin Nunez and Christopher Nkunku. A mammoth fee will be needed to prise him from Villarreal, with reports suggesting his release clause currently stands at €75m (£64m).
Speaking after his move to Spain, Danjuma admitted he could be tempted back to England's top flight in the future. "I aim for the highest possible (accolades) in my career and play the highest platform of football," he said. "If that means the Champions League, I want to prove myself, if that means the Premier League then that will be the Premier League."
Danjuma's love of the Bournemouth backroom staff looks like it goes two ways, with Newcastle assistant Jason Tindall making his feelings clear when the pair worked together a few years back. "Danjuma’s a great talent. He’s got so much quality and I think that was evident again," he said back in 2020. "Arnie is a great lad, great character. I absolutely love him to bits."
The Villarreal forward missed the second leg of the Champions League clash with Liverpool earlier this month due to a muscular problem and could spend the rest of the campaign on the sidelines.
