Udinese have warned Newcastle United that they have no intention of letting Beto leave the Serie A club for a new adventure in the Premier League this summer, sporting director Pierpaolo Marino tells Tuttosport.
It was by far and away Chris Wood’s best performance in a Newcastle shirt.
Not just because he won and then converted the decisive penalty kick in Friday’s 1-0 triumph over Europe-seeking Wolverhampton Wanderers, but because he led the line in a manner depicting a £25 million centre-forward.
Put simply, a usually tungsten-tipped Wolves defence couldn’t live with Wood’s movement and work-rate in the final third.
But the former Burnley man will still need to do more than this if he wants to prove, to a Saudi-backed Newcastle United side, that he is more than a short-term solution for a club who, once they secure their Premier League status for another season, are expected to go all-out for another number nine.
Who will be Newcastle’s next centre-forward?
Beto is not one of the most high-profile names on Eddie Howe’s wishlist but he is one of the most prolific. The Udinese talisman has 13 goals in 2021/22, including a hat-trick in the 5-1 thrashing of Cagliari earlier this month.
But Udinese have no plans to cash in on a 24-year-old striker on the back of just one season at the Dacia Arena.
“Beto still has ample room for improvement,” says Marino, comparing Beto to Barcelona legend Samuel Eto’o and Napoli talisman Victor Osimhen.
“For this reason, selling him already in the summer would be criminal. In fact, he will stay. He scores goals in the style of Eto’o and Osimhen. At Udinese, we have many talents.”
While Marino has all-but ruled out a summer move to St James’ Park for Beto, Reims coach Oscar Garcia was not quite so bullish when asked about the future of another Newcastle target over the weekend.
Hugo Ekitike, the £33 million wonderkid who Newcastle agreed a fee for in January, is expected to be sold at some point in the off-season.
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