Premier League rivals Newcastle United and West Ham are battling to sign Daniil Fomin from Dynamo Moscow in the January transfer window, according to Sport Express.
The fact that Fomin has scored more goals from his deep-lying midfield role than Newcastle player this season highlights not only on the lack of cutting edge in Eddie Howe’s squad but also the Russian international’s impressive track-record in the final third.
Fomin has found the net seven times in 19 games during 2021/22. Not even Callum Wilson has scored that many.
In fact, he’s already equalled last season’s tally with half of the campaign remaining.
No wonder Fomin is starting to turn heads outside of Russia.
According to Sport Express, Newcastle are interested. As are a West Ham side who have been linked with Fomin’s international team-mate Aleksander Golovin since the turn of the year.
Will Daniil Fomin join Newcastle or West Ham?
Like Golovin, Fomin will not come cheap.
The 24-year-old only joined Dynamo Moscow from FC Ufa in August 2020. He has another three-and-a-half years left on his contract.
Then again, Newcastle are hardly short of cash these days. Their billionaire Saudi Arabian owners are richer than King Croesus after a lottery win.
The Magpies have already snapped up Kieran Trippier for a bargain £12 million. Burnley’s Chris Wood is following in his footsteps.
And, if their ongoing pursuit of Sven Botman, Benoit Badiashile and Amadou Haidara are anything to go by, Newcastle would have few qualms about paying a club-record fee.
Especially with their Premier League status on the line.
Fomin is one of a number of all-round, box-to-box midfielders linked with a move to St James’ Park.
What sets Fomin apart from Ibrahim Sangare and Florian Grillitsch, however, is his impressive goalscoring record.
Not since Gini Wijnaldum have Newcastle boasted a genuine goalscoring midfielder in their ranks.
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