- Newcastle United ready to launch first bid for Arthur Atta
- Udinese midfielder recently spoke about Premier League links
- Atta will complement Guimaraes and Tonali perfectly
Ewen Jaouen became Newcastle United’s first summer signing two days ago, but the Magpies are wasting no time in moving on to other targets.
According to reports in Italy, Arthur Atta has emerged as a key target, with Eddie Howe set to launch an offer to sign the talented midfielder.
Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali are shoo-ins for a starting XI spot next season. However, the other spot in the centre of the park remains wide open as the Magpies remain on the lookout for the right profile to add to their squad.
And it appears as if they have narrowed down on Atta as the man to complete their midfield.
Newcastle United ready with first offer for Arthur Atta
Earlier this summer, we reported that Newcastle United were keeping tabs on Lamine Camara and Aleksandar Stankovic.
We also covered the Magpies’ interest in Atta, who has earned rave reviews for his performances in Serie A for Udinese.
And now, Nico Schira reports that Howe and co are ready to launch their first offer for the midfielder, who is also wanted by a bunch of other clubs across the continent.
His price tag remains unclear at this stage, but when Newcastle were initially linked with Atta – along with Bournemouth and other clubs – a €30m fee was mooted.
After Jaouen, Atta is the second French prodigy the Magpies are chasing.
Back in the day, they had the likes of Hatem Ben Afra, Yohan Cabaye, Mathieu Debuchy, and Moussa Sissoko in their ranks at the same time, so this is a throwback to the old times at St James’ Park.
High praise for Atta
As seen below in the graphic, Atta has become one of the most complete midfielders in his age group, which is why Newcastle’s interest comes as no surprise.
Earlier this year, Udinese director Gianluca Nani described him as a mix of Zinedine Zidane and Jude Bellingham. While these comments are a bit over the top, they show just how highly he’s rated.
“He is an extraordinary player, for me a mix between Jude Bellingham and Zinedine Zidane,” said Nani via Football Italia.
“This tells you how highly I rate him. I would not want to sell Atta, but if it happens, it means an offer has come in that neither us nor the player could resist.”
Nani’s comments are also proof that Udinese won’t let go of the 22-year-old without a fight, so it remains to be seen if the Magpies make a compelling offer. Their interest, however, is abundantly clear and judging by all the comments on Atta in footballing circles, he is quite the player.
