Newcastle can’t afford £60m ace but ‘willing’ to buy his team-mate for £17m

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Newcastle United are reportedly ‘willing’ to pay £17 million for Serie A enforcer Ederson with his Atalanta team-mate Teun Koopmeiners simply too expensive for the Premier League outfit. 

Eddie Howe’s newly-minted Magpies might have more money than King Croesus after a scratchcard win these days, but that does not mean Newcastle United can chuck the cash around without a care in the world. 

As The Athletic explains, Newcastle are still hamstrung by Financial Fair Play regulations. As such, signing a readymade replacement for the suspended Sandro Tonali in January may be easier said than done, particularly if their pursuit of Ruben Neves – owned by a PIF-funded Al-Hilal outfit – finds itself wrapped up in red tape. 

Newcastle turn to Serie A in pursuit of Tonali replacement

Another potential Tonali successor, Teun Koopmeiners, is simply too expensive. Calciomercato report that Atalanta’s ‘RoboKoop’ is valued at up to £60 million. A fee which has Newcastle shifting their focus to his La Dea team-mate, Ederson. 

Newcastle, Calciomercato add, would be happy to spend £17 million on the former Salernitana man. As far as Atalanta are concerned, that is enough to buy Ederson’s left leg only, though their £35 million asking price still renders the 24-year-old a damn sight cheaper than Koopmeiners. 

Ederson, while a deep-lying midfielder by trade, still has five goals to his name this season. Atalanta’s Player of the Month netted a late equaliser against Udinese at the weekend. 

‘Extraordinary’

“(Ederson is on a) growing journey. An extraordinary boy, on and off the pitch,” Atalanta CEO Luca Percassi tells Sky Italia. “His performances speak for him. We are happy with what he is doing. The club has made a great investment and we need to be patient.

“Last year, he already played well but this year even more so.”

Newcastle were reportedly accelerating talks with their number one midfielder target, former Wolves captain Ruben Neves, a fortnight ago. Suggestions that a deal for the Portugal playmaker could be blocked, however, means it makes sense for Newcastle to hedge their bets and cast their net a little wider.