Newcastle United have identified Basel striker Arthur Cabral as a replacement for the injury-hit Callum Wilson at the Premier League strugglers, as reported by Swiss publication Blick.
As Blick themselves point out, Cabral is proving to be ‘more popular than a mulled wine on a cold winter’s day’.
Eddie Howe certainly would have been forgiven for hitting the bottle amid growing fears that Newcastle’s talismanic centre-forward could be absent for a number of months with a torn calf muscle.
No one has scored more goals than Wilson this season (6). In fact, Allan Saint-Maximin is the only other Newcastle player who has found the net more than once during a miserable Premier League campaign.
Every cloud has a silver lining though and Newcastle’s nouveau-riche status means they at least have the financial muscle to throw their weight around in the transfer market.
Arthur Cabral, at £17 million, would barely leave a scratch on the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Funds’ estimated £500 billion fortune.
Could Newcastle beat West Ham to Arthur Cabral?
The Brazilian has scored a remarkable 27 goals in 31 games this season, a record that has also caught the eye of Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and Leeds United, amongst others.
West Ham, meanwhile, are reported to have made an offer for the former Palmeiras youngster, though Basel insist that no concrete offers are yet to arrive.
That, as Basel chief Phillip Kaufmann himself admitted, could change very soon. Especially with Wilson’s latest injury blow forcing relegation-threatened Newcastle into the market for a new number nine.
According to Blick, the Magpies sent scouts to watch Cabral in action after losing Wilson in December’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United.
There remain concerns about his ability to obtain the requisite work permit – pesky red tape prevented him from joining Leeds United in the summer of 2020.
The report does point out however that, after receiving a call-up for the Brazilian national team recently, this is a hurdle that can be overcome.
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