Newcastle hoping to sign £13m Issa Doumbia ahead of Besiktas - Report

It seems that Newcastle United really are looking much deeper into foreign markets for potential summer signings.

Since the PIF-backed takeover, Newcastle have focused on experienced players when it comes to tranfsers. Not necessarily experienced in terms of age, but certainly players who have played at high levels.

It worked well for a while, but last summer's window showed that experience doesn't necessarily translate to performances, and so Ross Wilson is casting a much wider net when looking for future stars.

We've seen a lot of movement in South America and now we're getting plenty of reports from around Europe with the latest name coming from Italy's Serie B.

Newcastle are eyeing Issa Doumbia

Newcastle are, according to Tuttomercatoweb, keen on Venezia's 22-year-old midfielder Issa Doumbia.

Southampton almost signed the Italian last summer but their bid came too late in the window and with no time to find a replacement, Venezia rejected their offer.

Now, Doumbia is thought to be in advanced talks with Turkish side Besiktas over a €15m (£13m) move, but Newcastle and Everton could be about to enter the race.

Issa Doumbia has been a key player for Venezia this season, playing 35 times in all competitions, scoring eight goals and contributing five assists to help the Venice side top Serie B.

It sounds unlikely

It sounds as though talks are pretty advanced with Besiktas, so if Newcastle are serious, they're going to have to state their intent soon to give the midfielder something else to think about.

Sport Witness claims that Doumbia "boasts an ability to cover ground and adds unpredictability in the final third. He also thrives on winning the ball back, making him a good fit for English football."

He certainly sounds like he ticks a fair few boxes and at just £13 million could be an absolute steal, but with the reports only coming out of Italy for now, we'll take this one with a pinch of salt.

Rumour Rating: 4/10 - Sounds good on paper, but still very early days and only reported in Italy. Also talks with Besiktas sound advanced so we're already on the back foot.