Newcastle United and West Ham United both fancy signing Union Berlin striker Taiwo Awoniyi – and he could be available for cheaper than thought.
Awoniyi may be a familiar name to some Premier League fans having been on the Liverpool books.
The 24-year-old joined Liverpool back in 2015 but never actually made a first-team appearance for the Reds.
Work permit issues were the main problem, and he was loaned to FSV Frankfurt, NEC Nijmegen, Mouscron, Gent, Mouscron again, Mainz and Union Berlin as a result.
Union secured a permanent deal last summer and Awoniyi has been simply outstanding this season.
The Nigerian has racked up 18 goals in 39 games, even chipping in with four assists too.
Awoniyi is now a wanted man. Goal reported earlier this month that both Newcastle and West Ham want to sign Awoniyi.
Sky Germany claimed that Union were seeking a deal worth around €30million (£25million) for Awoniyi.
However, Bild now claim that there is actually a €20million (£16.6million) release clause in Awoniyi’s Union contract.
It’s suggested that Liverpool have a 10% sell-on clause in the £6.5million deal to sell Awoniyi. It’s unclear if that is on any fee or just on the profit involved.
If these new claims are true, that release clause will make Awoniyi all the more appealing to Premier League clubs.
Newcastle already have two proven Premier League strikers in Callum Wilson and Chris Wood, but adding a younger option like Awoniyi is enticing.
Meanwhile, West Ham must sign a striker this summer. Michail Antonio desperately needs supporting the West Ham attack and Awoniyi could prove that.
You can certainly imagine other Premier League clubs taking a close look at Awoniyi too, with less than £17million potentially a bargain.
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