Newcastle have long been linked with a move for Sampdoria midfielder Dennis Praet.
The Evening Chronicle claimed back in January that the Toon have been scouting one-time Belgium international Praet for over a year, with the 23-year-old becoming a household name in Italian football.
The Chronicle’s report claims it will take a bid of around £21.5million to land the former Anderlecht midfielder, who joined Sampdoria after scoring 27 goals and providing 39 assists in 182 games for the Belgian champions.
However, the Magpies may have suffered a transfer blow if they were finally looking to take action on their interest in Praet in the summer, with Inter boss Luciano Spalletti looking to lure the Belgian to the San Siro.
It appears that Inter may have the upper hand in any race to sign Praet, too. Sampdoria are reportedly said to be fond of Inter youngsters Xian Emmers and Andrea Pinamonti, and they could be used in a deal to lure Praet to Inter.
This season, Praet has been a regular in Sampdoria’s side, missing only a handful of games due to a muscle injury earlier in 2018. He has a contract at Sampdoria until the summer of 2021.
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