'I hope' - Newcastle United transfer target reveals Premier League ambition amid Chelsea and Everton interest

Newcastle United’s hopes of landing one of their reported summer transfer targets have been boosted by an admission over a potential move to the Premier League.

The Magpies have been trying to establish themselves as a major player in the South America market since the £320m takeover by a Saudi-led consortium was completed in October 2021 - and they have gone some way to hitting that target with the £40m deal that brought Bruno Guimaraes to Tyneside during the first January transfer window under the new ownership.

Since then, United have looked to add to their South American ranks after monitoring a number of prospects in both Brazil and Argentina. However, their attempts to bring in two of the most promising youngsters in either country fell short as midfield duo Maximo Perrone and Andre Santos accepted offers from Premier League rivals Manchester City and Chelsea respectively.

United’s head of recruitment Steve Nickson has been a regular visitor to South America and co-owner Amanda Staveley revealed why his knowledge was so important in an interview given just over two years ago, saying: "We have an amazing head of recruitment in Steve Nickson, who has been with the club for a long time and has a really deep knowledge of the player markets. So we were able to quickly put together a transfer committee."

Despite those minor setbacks in their attempts to sign Perrone and Santos, United are continuing to assess a number of options and have recently been linked with a move for Paraguayan winger Ramon Sosa, who has been impressing a number of suitors with his impressive form for Argentinean club CA Talleres. The 24-year-old is an international team-mate of current Magpies star Miguel Almiron and has been tipped to secure a big money move over the coming months after scoring seven goals and providing six assists in 18 appearances in all competitions so far this season.

Boca Juniors have been strongly linked with Sosa in recent weeks as they look to offer him and opportunity to prolong his career in Argentina and both Chelsea and Everton are said to have registered an interest in the winger. However, a recent report has suggested Newcastle have been watching Sosa for a number of months and revealed the Magpies hierarchy are ready to ‘accelerate their move’ when the summer transfer window opens for business.

The eight-times capped Paraguayan international was asked about the reports linking him with a move away from Tallares and he described interest from Boca as ‘a source of pride’ before revealing that he has dreams of securing a move to the Premier League at some point in his career. He told Argentinean news outlet MDZ: “The truth, that a club like Boca thinking of you is beautiful. It is a source of pride because, imagine, there is much talk of the Premier League and it’s nice because it is a dream that I have, and I want to fulfil. I hope it comes true.”