Howe responds to Argentinian transfer plea after Shearer urges Toon to sign World Cup gem

Speaking after last night's World Cup final, Alan Shearer said he'd love to see Enzo Fernandez in a black and white shirt after the Argentine midfielder was named Young Player of the Tournament.

A few hours later, Eddie Howe has been quizzed about any potential interest in the Benfica star, admitting he's "aware of him" and "knows him."

However, he joked that the 21-year-old's transfer fee "might be quite lumpy" following his performances at the World Cup, with his introduction coinciding in some much improved performances from Argentina; who went on to beat France in the final after losing their opening game to Saudi Arabia.

Whether we hold any interest in Fernandez remains to be seen, but you get the feeling he'll be one of the most in-demand young midfielders following his displays in Qatar.

Here's what Howe had to say when asked about World Cup recruitment and Big Al's recommendation by The Mail's Craig Hope this morning:

"Shearer said he’d be good for us? I’m sorry Alan, I was on the other channel!"

“I’m aware of Enzo and I know him. But I think the transfer fee to sign him might be quite lumpy."

"From a recruitment perspective, I don’t think you ever just analyse the World Cup and sign a player off the back of those performances,’ he said. ‘There is a huge body of work goes into signing those players and it is never just off four weeks.

"That’s not to say we won’t use the World Cup as a recruitment tool and look at players. But just solely on those games, we wouldn’t do that."