Newcastle United have a decision on their hands this summer. The transfer window is around the corner and the targets are already flooding in.
Two highly-rated stars continue to be linked with a move to St James' Park - in the form of James Maddison and Dominik Szoboszlai. Both attacking midfielders, both seeking pastures new and both realistic options for Newcastle in the coming months.
The pursuit of Maddison is nothing new. The Leicester City man has attracted interest for well over 12 months, from the north east and elsewhere. Brendan Rodgers managed to keep his star man at the King Power for one last dance as the former Premier League winners succumbed to relegation.
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Maddison was the number one target among Newcastle fans last summer, with almost the entire fanbase backing a big-money move to bring the attacker to St James' Park. Fast forward to present day and opinion is somewhat more split.
Speculation persists over the player's desire to move south, while Leicester's apparent £40m price tag will put some of the Geordie faithful off given the club's recent demotion to the second tier.
Then there is Szoboszlai, another player itching for a move elsewhere. Chronicle Live understands RB Leipzig are resigned to losing the 22-year-old and are hopeful of a suitor paying the €70m (60m) release clause.
Newcastle have so far been reluctant to depart with that sort of money but would be getting a player of real talent. Szoboszlai is seen as the new kid on the block in the Bundesliga, with his performances attracting attention elsewhere across Europe.
Szoboszlai has repeatedly refused the opportunity to commit his future to RB Leipzig and all but confirmed he was considering his immediate options last week.
But how good is he? Marco Rossi, manager of the Hungarian national team, has been full of praise for the youngster. “I know him very well and if I were in a top club I would sign him,” Rossi told Tuttosport in November 2020.
“In the past, there were talks about Juventus and I know for sure that Lazio, Milan and Napoli wanted to sign him. Szoboszlai is a midfielder who makes assists and scores goals. He can play centre midfielder or behind the main striker. We are talking about one of the top ten talents in Europe.”
Szoboszlai certainly fits the bill as Eddie Howe looks for 'elite' signings... "Our strategy last summer was to try and find quality players for the positions that we needed, not to bring in a host of players who don’t necessarily improve our starting XI or squad," Howe admitted recently.
‘I don’t think our strategy will change. We want elite players because we have an elite squad. If we do add anyone in, they have to be better than the players we have.’
Time will tell whether Howe opts for either of the attacking prospects this summer - but it may pay for Newcastle to take a risk and deploy more transfer capital for Szoboszlai over Maddison.
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