It has been a rumour-filled transfer window so far, and frustration is growing amongst the Geordie faithful at the lack of deals being secured by relegation-threatened Newcastle.
The next name to add to the list of targets is Manolo Gabbiadini of Serie A side Napoli.
According to CalcioMercato in Italy, United have had a staggering €17million bid for the Italian international rejected by his current club.
So, who is the Magpies’ latest target?
Gabbiadini mainly operates as an attacking midfielder, but he can competently play on both flanks or as a second striker.
The 24-year-old couldn’t force his way into the Juventus team back in 2013, and he subsequently left the Italian giants for Sampdoria after a successful loan spell with Bologna.
After a tremendous season for Sampdoria, Gabbiadini left for Napoli and Champions League football for a fee believed to be in the region of £10million.
However, since then, most of the Italian’s appearances have come from off the substitutes’ bench, much to the disbelief of Napoli fans who rate the playmaker highly.
Gabbiadini likes to shoot from distance, and one of his main strengths lie in free-kick taking.
The expressive attacker has scored some delightful goals for both Sampdoria and Napoli in recent years.
Gabbiadini has featured six times for the Italian national side, as well as 24 times for their U21 outfit.
His exquisite ability to cut inside and thread through delightful through balls to on-running attackers has led to Italian football fans calling him ‘The Magician’.
This season, Gabbiadini has started four games, scoring four goals. His other nine appearances have come from off the bench, and as you can expect, he has scored only one goal from appearances off the bench.
Many Newcastle fans feel that the lack of creativity behind the team’s strikers poses a big problem for Steve McClaren, and it’s safe to say that this man would solve that problem.
Gabbiadini’s average pass length is 16m, which showcases his willingness to create chances from difficult positions on the pitch.
Last season, when he played the most minutes for Sampdoria and Napoli, he managed an average pass accuracy of 80% in 20 appearances – a highly impressive statistic.
If the reports are true and Newcastle have bid upwards of €17million, then one can only assume that McClaren and company aim to provide more service for the Magpies’ current strikers.
Although the acquisition of Gabbiadini would go quite some way to solving Newcastle’s chance creation problems, the fee being talked about is somewhat hard to divulge into.
Considering his uncertain position at Napoli, surely the Italian club would accept such a high bid for a player who they do not start often?
Any deal for Gabbiadini is a longshot at this stage, and I can’t foresee Newcastle forking out a massive fee for the 24-year-old.