Newcastle could launch Aleksandar Stankovic bid in complicated summer switch - Report

Newcastle United have been identified as one of several clubs looking to sign Serbian midfielder Aleksandar Stankovic in the summer.

The 20-year-old Club Brugge star is almost certain to be on the move in the summer, as Inter Milan are being heavily tipped to activate their buy-back clause after allowing their academy product to move to Belgium in the summer.

Inter have the option to buy him back this summer for €23m (£20m) or for €25m (£21.6m) next summer, but Gazzetta dello Sport claims that the Italian giants will not wait around to pay that extra money next year and will exercise their right to bring him home this summer.

They feel that Stankovic is now a fully developed player after establishing himself as a first-choice pick for Brugge this season.

Inter will make a decision on Aleksandar Stankovic after buying him back

It's expected that Inter will run the rule over Stankovic in the summer and could be open to offers for the defensive midfielder, with Newcastle United, Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund mentioned as interested parties.

Inter may want to keep hold of Stankovic, but they could also look to make a quick profit if one of the aforementioned clubs comes in.

Newcastle have been linked with the 6'1" midfielder before, as it was reported back in November that the Magpies had the versatile star on their radar for a potential January bid.

We have some thoughts

Stankovic has performed well as a defensive midfielder for Club Brugge this season, but it has been noted that he can also comfortably slot in as a centre-back, which will certainly appeal to Newcastle.

It sounds like a bit of a messy situation for us to be involved in. If Inter buys him back for £20 million, they're going to want to make sure that outlay is more than covered if they sell him, so we're looking at a good few million extra. That's not the end of the world, mind, but it would be much easier if we could have just bought him off Club Brugge for that initial £20 million.

This is just our logical way of looking at things, but should Inter decide to sell him, does that mean they don't see him as being up to their standard, and if so, do we want him then? I guess the price would give us more insight into that. If they demand a hefty fee, they clearly think he's worth something, but they want the money more than the player.

Rumour Rating: 6/10 - Newcastle have a standing interest in Stankovic, but the Inter complication makes this one feel unlikely for now.