Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is eyeing a move for Nicolo Zaniolo after selling wily winger Allan Saint-Maximin to Al Ahli this summer for roughly £23m.
The Frenchman's departure had already been covered by the £39m acquisition of Harvey Barnes from relegated Leicester City, but the interest in Zaniolo hints at further activity to bolster the club's offence.
With the 23/24 season less than two weeks away, Howe and co will look to complete the summer renovations as swiftly as possible as they look to match last term's qualification to the Champions League.
How much is Nicolo Zaniolo worth?
According to Turkish publication Takvim.com, Zaniolo could be set for a departure from Galatasaray mere months after joining the Turkish outfit, with Newcastle hot on the ace's trail.
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The Lions would only sanction a sale for the 24-year-old if their €35m (£30m) valuation is met; failure to match the figure would result in an instant dismissal.
What kind of player is Nicolo Zaniolo?
While Barnes has been signed to provide fresh firepower on the Magpies' wing, Saint-Maximin's departure warrants further investment as the club look to continue their impressive ascent.
The return to European competition will increase expectation and workload, and Zaniolo's arrival would only serve to provide Howe with greater versatility as he pushes for silverware and success across multiple fronts.
He would definitely be able to match Barnes – who scored 13 goals from 34 top-flight contests – for cutting edge, with Zaniolo scoring five goals from 12 appearances in the Turkish Süper Lig, as per Sofascore, taking an average of 2.2 shots each game despite averaging just 35 minutes per appearance.
And given that he ranks among the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers over the past year for goals and the top 13% for touches in the attacking box per 90, via FBref, Zaniolo can clearly be the progressive, goal-scoring "crown jewel" that Newcastle needs, as he has been hailed as by journalist Zach Lowy.
Also called a "lethal playmaker" by Lowy, evidenced during the 21/22 campaign when the 24-year-old scored eight goals and supplied nine assists from 42 appearances for Roma, he could certainly offer the kind of dynamism that Saint-Maximin will be taking to Saudi Arabia, if not more.
The fleet-footed ace has never been the most prolific of wingers but is a mercurial option with a plethora of tools at his disposal, ranking among the top 4% of positional peers for assists, the top 12% for progressive passes and the top 1% for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90.
The £70k-per-week gem's exit from St. James' Park, partnered with the arrival of Barnes and lingering interest in Zaniolo, signifies a shift in emphasis from Howe and his tactical team, targetting directness in the attack – greater goalscoring threat, and frequency.
The former Roma star would be an "incredible" addition to the Tyneside team, as he has been praised in the past by Daniele De Rossi, and if he can bring his shooting boots onto English shores, he could finally harness his potential and rise to prominence in the Premier League.
