Newcastle United have purportedly initiated negotiations with Sevilla for their talisman Youssef En-Nesyri and could look to complete their strikeforce by tying up a deal this summer.
That's according to Spanish sources, claiming that the Andalusian outfit received a 'direct call' from Magpies technical director Dan Ashworth to discuss the feasibility of a move.
The Tyneside club are making moves on the transfer front as Eddie Howe looks to cement the newfound stature as one of the Premier League's most prominent sides, and En-Nesyri would bring trophy-winning experience to an ambitious squad.
Sevilla won the Europa League this year and have consequently qualified for the Champions League despite finishing 12th in the Spanish top-flight, and are demanding at least €50m (£44m) for the imposing forward.
How good is Youssef En-Nesyri?
There's no denying that Sevilla possess an innate knack at triumphing in the Europa League – indeed, the Red and Whites have conquered the competition five times over the past decade and are the record holders of the continental competition.
And En-Nesyri has played an integral part in the recent success, winning the trophy twice since completing a €20m (£17m) transfer to the side from fellow Spanish side Leganes.
While he hasn't captured the blistering form of his first full season with Sevilla, scoring 18 times from 38 appearances in the league, En-Nesyri has remained a solid forward, and standing at 6 foot 3 he can act as a conduit from which teammates can link the play together,
The 59-cap Morocco international – who has scored 17 goals for his nation – only scored eight times in LaLiga last term, though he started only 17 matches, as per Sofascore, but with three of the strikes coming from his head, he could thrive with a ball-playing aficionado such as Kieran Trippier spraying passes from the right flank.
The 32-year-old defender joined the St. James's Park side from Atletico Madrid for £12m in January 2022, and has been hailed as a "revelation" by talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan for his exploits.
As per Sofascore, the £120k-per-week phenom earned seven assists in the Premier League last season and earned an incredible average match rating of 7.61, creating 24 big chances and averaging 2.6 key passes per game.
No player made more crosses across the 22/23 league season than the 42-cap England international, with the 392 aerial passes a gulf apart from Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold in second – with 252.
If this level of output is emulated next year, En-Nesyri could prove to be an "unreal" signing – as the 26-year-old's finishing has been lauded by journalist Aaron West.
Considering this, Newcastle must swoop and open up a new dimension to the attack, perhaps doing enough to ensure the club retain their Champions League spot and maybe even push for some silverware.