Newcastle United have been linked with Arsenal outcast Lucas Perez but Rafa Benitez may be forced to look elsewhere.
The Spaniard has handed in a transfer request at Arsenal and Benitez has been heavily linked with a move for his compatriot as he reshapes his squad for the club’s return to the Premier League this season.
But the player’s agent Rodrigo Fernandez Lovelle says there is strong interest from Turkey, France, Germany and his old club Deportivo in Spain, as reported by Chronicle Live.
The Magpies have found recruiting a quality proven Premier League striker difficult in this over-inflated market this summer.
Should Perez move elsewhere, it will make their situation even more acute.
And that could leave Benitez with little option but to rekindle the club’s interest in homegrown star Andy Carroll.
The big Geordie was heavily linked with a return to his former club back in January after buying a new home in the area, as reported at the time by the Chronicle.
Newcastle have again been linked with a move for Carroll this summer with the injury-prone striker’s West Ham future in doubt after the signings of Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez.
Given Carroll’s terrible injury record, and the fact he still has two years to run on his £90,000 per week contract in East London, West Ham may be willing to offload him for a knockdown price.
When fit he would be a guaranteed starter at St James’ Park but that may not be the case at West Ham where Arnautovic and Hernandez will surely be first choice following their big moves.
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