Jonathan Cafu stood out in the Champions League last season and Newcastle United and Brighton will go head-to-head.
It’s taken until the first week of July but finally Newcastle United have secured the services of a new signing – one who wasn’t at the club on loan last season.
Though, with manager Rafael Benitez making clear that Newcastle are prioritising both quality and quantity in the transfer market, time will tell whether Lejeune’s arrival will open the floodgates.
Florian Lejeune signed for Manchester City in 2015 but did not play a single game
It does appear, however, that the 2017 Championship winners are stepping up their interest in a player who has been linked with almost every club in the top flight over the last 12 months.
Sport Witness report that Ludogorets Razgrad forward Jonathan Cafu has been contacted by Newcastle over a potential summer move to St James’ Park. The Brazilian netted 14 goals in all competitions last season while helping his club lift the Bulgarian first division title.
And the report adds that the 25-year-old, who arrived in Europe from Sao Paolo in 2015, has a £10 million buyout clause in his contract – making him well within Newcastle’s budget.
The report also claims that, as it stands, fellow newly promoted side Brighton are favourites for Cafu’s signature, as well as European competition regulars Sporting Lisbon and Lyon.
Jonathan Cafu scored four goals in Europe last season
The Seagulls are yet to make a major splash in the transfer market after sealing their promotion to the Premier League for the first time but paying big money for Cafu, who ran Arsenal’s defence ragged in last season’s Champions League group stage, could be construed as a statement of intent.
Therefore, Newcastle face major competition, meaning Cafu could be another long and complicated transfer.
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