Italian teenage prodigy could reject Liverpool and join Newcastle in £30m deal

Newcastle United are believed to be “gathering information” regarding a special young player, as they look to beat other top clubs to his signature this summer.

Isak set for showdown talks with Newcastle

The Magpies’ summer has been rocked by Alexander Isak wanting to leave the club, with the Swede strongly linked with a move to Premier League champions Liverpool. While no bid has been tabled for the 25-year-old yet, it looks as though one could be imminent this week, should the Newcastle star tell the owners that he wants to depart in face-to-face talks.

Should Isak move on from the Magpies this summer, it would be bitterly disappointing for anyone associated with the club, but they could at least receive a British record transfer fee for his services.

If that happens, an elite striker needs to come in as a direct replacement for the Sweden international, but also other top players across several areas of the pitch.

Newcastle “gathering information” on Italian defender

According to Corriere dello Sport [via Sport Witness], Newcastle are “gathering information” on Parma centre-back Giovanni Leoni, seeing him as a top-quality prospect to bring in this summer.

Liverpool, Tottenham and Inter Milan are also said to be in the mix to sign the 18-year-old, and he is keen on the idea of playing in the Champions League, although the press in Italy believe he will reject the likes of Liverpool in favour of a move to Inter.

Given his age, Leoni wouldn’t arrive at Newcastle as an immediate starter, but the strides he has already made in his career suggests it may not be long until that is the case.

The Italian made 14 starts in Serie A last season, showing that he is already capable of looking at home in one of Europe’s top five leagues, and scout Jacek Kulig has described him as a “complete” player.

Newcastle have to be targeting younger centre-back moving forward, with the current ranks both ageing and injury-prone, and Leoni looks like a perfect option to come in.

He could arrive as a squad player to begin with, learning from more senior colleagues, before maturing into a key starter for Eddie Howe, becoming a genuinely top-class defender if he reaches his potential.