Newcastle United's £83m wonderkid links are far-fetched - but they give an idea of the direction required

Just over three years have passed since a Saudi-led takeover was completed at Newcastle United and a series of quick frankly bizarre transfer rumours kicked into top gear.

Even before the frustratingly prolonged takeover deal was finally concluded amid a haze of claim and counter-claim, key figures within the would-be Magpies hierarchy were adamant a long-term view would be taken and there would be no lavish outlay such as those overseen at Manchester City and Chelsea in the not-too-distant past. Compared to the restricted ambition and investment implemented by the club’s former owner Mike Ashley, it could be argued the new owners lavished untold wealth upon Eddie Howe’s squad - but in reality, the club were playing catchup after falling well behind their rivals across the Premier League.

However, over their three-year period, there have been a number of signings that have led the Magpies to be accused over over-paying for new additions. With the obvious benefit of hindsight, their success rate with such lucrative additions has been high as the likes of Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes and Sven Botman have all become integral figures within Howe’s ranks and have improved the Magpies squad beyond recognition. There is further evidence of their successful recruitment in England’s Nations League victories against Greece and Republic of Ireland as Magpies full-backs Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento were both handed their first caps in the space of five days. The connecting factor between the players mentioned is not only that their signings were costly - but also that they fit into a similar age range. This is not done by accident as the Magpies hierarchy look to identify talent that can grow and improve with the club and benefit of Howe and his coaching staff.

As such, despite an initial desire to scoff at claims the Magpies are considering a club record move for Sporting CP ‘wonderkid’ Geovany Quenda, there probably should be some credence given to the reports. The 17-year-old winger has scored two goals and provided two assists in 18 appearances for the Portuguese giants since he broke into their senior setup earlier this season. During that time, the Portugal Under-21 international has featured in all four of their Champions League fixtures, providing an assist for in-demand striker Viktor Gyokeres as he scored Sporting’s opener in their 4-1 win against Manchester City earlier this month. He has also played in high-profile fixtures against the likes of Porto and Braga and provided two assists in his first three appearances for Portugal Under-21s.

Such rapid progress does not go unnoticed and a recent report from CaughtOffside has claimed Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are amongst the clubs queuing up for his signature. They are said to have been joined by Bundesliga duo RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen and Serie A giants Juventus. Quite clearly the youngster is in demand but it is Newcastle who are said to have ‘signalled clear intent to step up their interest in Quenda soon’ - despite the youngster reportedly possessing a release clause of around £83.6m within the three-year contract he signed during the summer months.

Newcastle’s ongoing battle with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations has been well-versed in recent months and that could prohibit such a sizeable outlay on one player unless there is a significant sale of a current member of Howe’s squad. No matter what level of truth lie within the links to a big money move for Quenda, there can be no doubt the youngster would fit into the sort of criteria the Magpies need to grow their club over the coming years.