Newcastle United to rival Sporting Lisbon for Brazilian forward with reported £31m release clause

Newcastle United head of recruitment Steve Nickson has reportedly scouted Marrony ahead of a potential move for the Vasco striker.

By Liam Kennedy

Published 23rd Jul 2019, 13:37 BST- 1 min read

Updated 23rd Jul 2019, 14:37 BST

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - APRIL 14: Willian Arao (L) of Flamengo struggles for the ball with Marrony of Vasco da Gama during a match between Vasco da Gama and Flamengo, as part of State Championship Final 1 at Nilton Santos Stadium on April 14, 2019 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

United have just 16 days left to sign players, with the transfer window closing on August 8.

And one player who has reportedly caught the eye is the 20-year-old.

Globo report Nickson went to Brazil to personally check out the forward and “liked what he saw”.

The report states: “The expectation now lies in the realisation of a proposal, something has already been signalled that it will happen.

“Another club that showed interest was Sporting. The Portuguese team included Marrony in their monitoring.

“Vasco, for now, has not been officially sought. In February of this year, Marrony renewed his contract with the club until 2023. The severance fine rose to 35 million euros. But the values are unlikely to reach this level. Cruz-Maltino is open to offers due to the current financial situation.”