"I'm working so hard to make sure that I achieve my dream of playing in the Premier League some day."
Victor Osimhen has done little to quell speculation that a move to England could be on the cards this summer. The Nigeria international currently leads the Serie A scoring charts with 19 strikes so far as runaway leaders Napoli close in on their first title for 33 years.
Newcastle United along with top-flight rivals Arsenal and Manchester United have all been linked to the 24-year-old. However, the forward could command a transfer fee in excess of £100 million if recent reports are to be believed.
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The Magpies are first said to have expressed an interest in Osimhen last summer, with Eddie Howe ultimately making a club-record move for Alexander Isak. Chris Wood's January exit and the recent struggle for goals has likely elevated the desire for another frontline recruit this summer, and Newcastle have already proven they are not afraid to revisit targets with the deals for Sven Botman and Anthony Gordon.
Whether or not Osimhen was truly a target or simply one of many on the club's radar, the Napoli star has likely dispelled any doubts over his capacity to make the step up to the Premier League. The same can be said for another striker once linked to St James' Park who has also shone both domestically and in this season's Champions League.
Goncalo Ramos announced himself on the global stage with a hat-trick on his first World Cup start after replacing Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal's knockout victory against Switzerland. The 21-year-old has claimed Benfica's starting spot as his own following Darwin Nunez's departure, so far netting 23 goals in all competitions.
Newcastle were linked after Ramos impressed in the Eusebio Cup encounter in July, and at time the striker was not even widely recognised as the hosts' starting forward for the upcoming campaign. However, the Portugal international has been rewarded for pledging to remain in Lisbon.
Newcastle's recruitment team look like they would have been vindicated if either Osimhen and Ramos had been lured to Tyneside. Injury means it is unfair to judge the signing of Isak so far, although the Sweden international has shown enough in glimpses to suggest he will prove a major hit in black-and-white.
United's top-four push and equally unlikely Wembley final appearance not only highlights the strides already made, but also the size of their next step. Howe's side have lost three straight matches to Liverpool. Manchester City and Manchester United without scoring a goal, despite otherwise taking plenty of positives from the performances.
There is far more to untangle from the recent goalscoring woes to suggest a new striker would be a straightforward solution. Newcastle's failure to take chances stretches right throughout the team, with set-piece opportunities squandered and midfielders no longer chipping in.
Callum Wilson has been a reliable number nine for Newcastle over the last three years, but has not been at his best since the World Cup. Howe is seemingly yet to decide upon Isak's best role in the side, with the former Real Sociedad striker deployed as an attacking midfielder in recent substitute appearances.
The first phase of the rebuild at St James' Park is seemingly drawing to a close, with a cumulative transfer spend in the region of £250m already invested. The next stage will attempt to bridge the gap to the so-called 'Big Six', a feat made far more difficult by the limitations of Financial Fair Play.
Osimhen and Ramos represent the calibre of strikers being targeted by the Premier League's elite. The challenge for the Magpies to disrupt the established order is to either convince targets such as these to plump for the North East instead, or to take a calculated gamble on cheaper alternatives who could grow into the role.
All areas of Newcastle's squad will be under review come the summer, and it might well be the case that the search for a new forward may be pushed to a later window. But goalscorers of the standard now required always come with a premium, and Osimhen and Ramos' success this season merely illustrate the financial tightrope the Magpies must now operate in.
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