Report: Newcastle have considered signing Aston Villa star but they prefer 'exceptional' £50m PL player instead

By Shamanth Jayaram

According to The Athletic, Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz checks all the boxes Newcastle United are looking for, but the Magpies prefer Brighton’s Yves Bissouma instead.

It is no secret at this point that the Magpies are looking for a new midfielder. Eddie Howe is keen to bolster the middle of his park and a proven Premier League player who can come in and hit the ground running makes the most sense.

The January transfer window is a difficult period to get deals over the line, even if a club has all the money in the world. To make things harder for Newcastle, they’re stuck in a relegation battle, which isn’t really appealing to top players.

That has made things tricky for the Magpies, but they are still showing a lot of ambition to get deals done before the window shuts in a few days time.

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Newcastle like Douglas Luiz but Howe prefer Yves Bissouma

The report claims that Newcastle are looking at players who have entered the final 18 months of his contract as it would be a lot easier to lure them away.

Luiz, whose current deal expires in 2023, checks that box, but the report claims that Howe prefers Brighton and Hove Albion star Bissouma instead.

The Mali international has been one of the best midfielders in the Premier League since the start of last season. He has been outstanding, so much so, that Gary Lineker went on to label him an ‘exceptional footballer‘.

That doesn’t mean Luiz is a bad player. The Brazilian has been one of Aston Villa’s best players since he joined them from Manchester City. He would be a fine signing as well, but Villa fans will be delighted that Newcastle will not make a move for him this month.

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Bissouma will cost a fortune

The Mail reported recently that Brighton will only let Bissouma leave if an offer in the region of £50 million comes in this month. That stance will only get stronger as we head into the end of the window, which is not ideal.

We all know Newcastle can afford the world now thanks to their owners, but whether they will be willing to fork out a club-record fee on Bissouma in the next five days is unclear at the moment.

However, if they’re ready to pay whatever it takes to get the Mali international, it would be one of the best signings in this window across all clubs in the Premier League.

Luiz is definitely a good midfielder, but Bissouma is arguably better than the Brazilian based on the last 18 months.

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