Newcastle and Southampton have been dealt a blow as Brighton are now close to signing Vitinha from Braga.
What’s the story?
Well, it was A Bola in Portugal who revealed that Newcastle are considering a late bid to sign the Portugal Under-21 international.
Now, Fabrice Hawkins of RMC Sport has provided a significant update.
The journalist claims that Southampton and Marseille had been tracking Vitinha, although Brighton have now stumped up a €30m (£26m) bid to meet his release clause.
It comes after the 22-year-old scored 13 goals in his first 27 appearances of the campaign, while also providing five assists as he makes a name for himself as one of the hottest talents in Portugal.
With other Portuguese prospects such as Joao Felix and Rafael Leao already making waves across Europe, the excitement surrounding Vitinha is understandable.
Southampton appear to have moved on from the Braga No.99 after Brighton met his release clause, with Fraser Fletcher claiming that a €3m (£2.6m) deal to sign Moussa Dembele from Lyon could now go through.
Arsenal fans will be interested in Brighton bid for Newcastle & Southampton target
In our view, the £26m bid from Brighton for Vitinha will interest Arsenal fans.
Those who support the Gunners may wonder where £26m has suddenly come from for the Seagulls as they find themselves trying to sign Moises Caicedo from the Amex Stadium.
Arsenal initially saw a £60m bid rejected for the Ecuador international, and have since seen an increased offer worth £70m rebuffed as well – according to Sky Sports.
It is believed that a sum of £80m could be enough to convince Brighton to sell their South American wonderkid.
Now however, with Brighton bidding a significant amount for Vitinha, some Arsenal fans will wonder if the Seagulls are spending the Caicedo money – be sure to keep an eye on the situation.
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