Newcastle United ‘want’ winger with £86m release clause after £31m Chelsea swoop

18-year-old Corinthians forward Wesley Gassova is a player Newcastle are interested in, according to Bolavip Brasil. The teenager has made 30 appearances for the Brazilian club, scoring two goals and grabbing one assist.

Gassova has established himself as a regular member of the Corinthians first-team this season where he has primarily been used on the left-wing. He reportedly has a release clause in his contract of around £86million, a fee that Newcastle won’t come close to entertaining.

But the reports from Brazil claim Newcastle are ‘interested’ in Gassova having eyed a number of young Brazilian talents over the past two seasons. Gassova’s Corinthians team-mate Gabriel Moscardo is also said to be on Newcastle’s radar.

Newcastle head of recruitment Steve Nickson has spent time in Brazil to scout a number of players. The Magpies have also expanded its global recruitment network by appointing scouts specialising in South American football as well as other areas across the world.

In addition to Gassova, Newcastle have also been linked with teenage duo Angelo Gabriel and Andrey Santos, both of whom have since signed by Chelsea for £13million and £18million respectively, as well as Matheus Franca, who joined Crystal Palace in the summer.

Athletico Paranaense forward Vitor Roque has also reportedly been on Newcastle’s radar but has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona in January.

The Magpies are hoping to build on the success they have had with Brazilian internationals Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton by recruiting some of the country’s emerging talents for relatively low transfer fees.