Newcastle United ‘face battle’ from Chelsea & Everton to sign £26m star as scouts sent to South America

Newcastle United head to South Yorkshire on Sunday afternoon as they take on winless Sheffield United in their latest Premier League outing.

After losing three games on the spin, Eddie Howe’s side stopped the rot with a 1-0 home win over Brentford last weekend and followed that up with a 0-0 draw at AC Milan in their Champions League opener in midweek.

The Blades have had a tough start to the season following their promotion last term, picking up their only point in a 2-2 home draw with fellow strugglers Everton. They were beaten at Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, conceding twice deep into stoppage time to lose 2-1.

Both sides will be keen to pick up maximum points at Bramall Lane on Sunday. Ahead of the fixture, we have rounded up the latest transfer news surrounding Newcastle with one eye on the January window.

Newcastle ‘interested’ in Corinthians youngster

Newcastle United are one of several Premier League clubs credited with an interest in Corinthians youngster Gabriel Moscardo, according to Brazilian outlet iG Esporte.

Corinthians are set to demand £26m for the defender if a Premier League side comes calling in the January window. Chelsea reportedly made a move to sign him in the summer while Everton and Nottingham Forest have also been linked.

The 17-year-old turns 18 next week but has already made 14 senior appearances at the base of the Corinthians midfield, leading to claims in his home country he could be a big figure for the Brazilian national team in years to come.

Magpies send scouts to watch defender

Newcastle are one of a number of Premier League clubs said to have been represented at Boca Juniors in recent weeks as they assess the progress of promising defender Valentin Barco.

90Min have reported Newcastle, Brighton, Chelsea, Manchester City, Brentford, Wolves and Nottingham Forest have all sent scouts to watch the 19-year-old full-back in action as he continues to impress after breaking into the Boca senior setup last season.

Barco, who is said to have an £8m release clause in his current contract, has made 19 appearances in all competitions so far this season and is viewed as a potential senior international after making his Argentina Under-20s debut in a 3-1 win against Peru last summer.