Newcastle battling PSG to sign £40m star who Roma may now be forced to sell

Newcastle United and Paris Saint-Germain are in the race to sign a “game-breaking” Roma star, and the Serie A club may now be forced into a summer sale.

Eddie Howe set to make major changes this summer

Eddie Howe is expected to remain Newcastle manager beyond the summer, despite enduring a difficult campaign, with his side set to miss out on European football, despite taking seven points from their last three Premier League matches.

Howe has now hinted he could make some major changes to his squad in the upcoming window, saying: “The transfer window is very difficult to predict. Players may well leave. If they do, they do; if they don’t, we move on with the group we have.

“But we are doing things to try to improve. If people do leave, we need to bring in better players. The team and the squad can’t get weaker, that is my big thing. That is the nature of football, it is changing and evolving all the time. This summer we might see a change of speed. It is about coming out stronger, but it may well be different.”

Sandro Tonali‘s future remains up in the air, with the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal interested in signing the Italian, and if he were to leave, there would be a gaping hole in the middle of the park.

As such, the Magpies are now eyeing a move for a new central midfielder.

Newcastle keen on signing “game-breaking” star

According to a report from Il Messaggero (via Sport Witness), Newcastle are keen on signing Manu Kone, who is valued at £40m.

Roma have to make one major sale even though they are in a strong position to qualify for the Champions League, and are excited to earn ‘millions’ from Kone given the level of interest, with PSG and Atletico Madrid also named as potential suitors.

The Frenchman’s representatives are working on securing him a move elsewhere, but it could be difficult for Howe’s side to get a deal done, given that they are set to miss out on European football.

Lauded for his “game-breaking ball carrying” by scout Ben Mattinson, the 25-year-old has made 28 appearances in the Serie A this season, picking up two goals and three assists.

Thierry Henry has also hinted the maestro could catch the eye at the upcoming World Cup, saying: “I’m not saying that he’s going to have a brilliant World Cup or not have a brilliant World Cup. I don’t know, but there’s a guy that people don’t know much about, and he plays for Roma. I had him at the Olympics.

“It’s Manu Koné. He is, for me right now, one of the best holding midfielders out there. He’s going about his life in a quiet way.”

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