Newcastle United have opened talks with Arsenal over a permanent move for striker Eddie Nketiah, 90min can confirm.
Nketiah is out of contract at the end of the season and does not plan on signing an extension, citing limited minutes as the reason for his wish to leave the Emirates Stadium.
Crystal Palace and West Ham have both shown interest in a short-term loan for Nketiah, but sources have confirmed to 90min that Newcastle have moved to bring the 21-year-old in on a permanent basis.
Manager Eddie Howe is a big fan of Nketiah and wanted Newcastle to try sign him when his Arsenal contract expires in the summer, but those plans have now been brought forward as Howe wants more firepower to get his side out of their relegation battle.
Nketiah has also received interest from Germany and France but Newcastle are optimistic about their chances of landing the 21-year-old.
Newcastle are hoping to complete numerous deals before the transfer window shuts. Lyon midfielder Bruno Guimaraes is expected to be the next over the line, but Howe has confirmed that he expects more players to follow.
Talks are also open with Bayer Leverkusen over a deal for left-back Mitchel Bakker, with Sassuolo’s Rogerio also under serious consideration for the position.
Howe wants another centre-back as well. Negotiations with Sevilla over Diego Carlos have hit a wall and Newcastle are now looking at Brighton’s Dan Burn, with Nat Phillips of Liverpool another player in their sights.