Newcastle serious about signing Conor Gallagher - Big claims from Spain on Friday

Soon after the takeover, you may remember regular links to Conor Gallagher.

Whether it was a potential loan move to help our bid to stay up or talk of a potential £40m move to St James' Park in 2023, it was often said that Eddie Howe was a huge admirer of the all-action midfielder.

The England international completed a £33m move to Atletico Madrid last summer and, according to some big claims coming out of Spain today, Newcastle are back in for him.

Mundo Deportivo report that Newcastle are 'seriously considering' a move for the 25-year-old, who is being tipped to return to England after just one season in La Liga.

They state that Gallagher is a popular figure at Atletico, with coaching staff rating him highly, but the player could seek a move to boost his hopes of earning a spot at next year's World Cup, with several of his 32 outings last season coming from the bench.

It's believed Howe remains a huge fan of the versatile midfielder, with another option likely to be needed if and when Sean Longstaff departs after a number of bids from Leeds.

It's reported that Atletico will demand a figure close to £36m to allow Gallagher to leave, putting the ball in Newcastle's court to make a bid.

Newcastle are due to play Atletico Madrid in a pre-season friendly at St James' Park next month and have history with the La Liga side, previously signing Kieran Trippier, Javier Manquillo and Jesus Gamez from the Spaniards.

For me, this move would make so much sense if we're looking to upgrade on Longstaff and add depth to our engine room. Gallagher is still young at 25, Premier League proven - he was Chelsea's best player in his last season in England - an absolute workhorse and will be extremely motivated to get back into the England set up.

If we can sell Longstaff for £15m and pay just over double to land Gallagher, that would be a superb piece of business.