Newcastle United is reportedly going to compete with Chelsea to sign Villarreal forward Arnaut Danjuma, who is valued at €40 million
It has been said that Newcastle United wants to sign Villarreal forward Arnaut Danjuma. Italian news site Calcio Mercato Web says that the Magpies could compete with Premier League rivals Chelsea to sign the 25-year-old Dutch international.
Danjuma used to play for NEC Nijmegen in the Dutch Eredivise. Since moving to Villarreal from Bournemouth in August 2021, he has quickly become a key player for the team. On an individual level, he had a great season in 2021/22.
The Dutch forward scored 16 goals and had four assists in 34 games across all competitions. He scored an amazing six goals in 11 UCL games as the Yellow Submarine surprised everyone by making it to the semi-finals of the Champions League.
With 3 goals in 8 games for all of his teams this season, it looks like he will also be a key player for Spain this season. His skills haven’t gone unnoticed, and this summer, some of the biggest clubs in Europe, like West Ham, Liverpool, and Manchester United, were interested in signing him.
Will Newcastle United or Chelsea get him?
Last season, Villarreal came in seventh place in La Liga. It only got them into the UEFA Europa Conference League. So, even though he could have easily moved to another country, he turned down all offers because he wanted to be stable and play a lot of games before the Qatar World Cup.
In the summer of 2026, his contract with La Ceramica will end. AC Milan and Chelsea are both trying to sign the 25-year-old player in 2023, which has led to a transfer war. Villarreal will try to sell their prized asset for about €40 million.
Newcastle United is the latest team to show interest in the Dutch player. The Magpies have a lot of strikers and wide players, especially since they bought Alexander Isak in the summer. Isak is versatile enough to play anywhere along the frontline.
But since Chris Wood is likely to leave the club soon, they could improve their chances of making it to Europe by adding another forward. Danjuma seems to have all the qualities that Eddie Howe looks for in a player. He is young, athletic, strong, creative, fast, and has an eye for the goal. The 25-year-old is also a very direct dribbler and has a lot in common with Saint-Maximin in that way.
Future of Arnaut Danjuma
Does it come as a surprise that Howe was the one who first brought the Dutchman to Bournemouth? One problem, though, could be that the Villarreal forward has had a lot of injuries. He missed a lot of last season because of muscle and hamstring problems.
Also, if they want to sign him, the Magpies will have to beat off competition from Chelsea. The Blues could look to update their attack in 2023, especially their strikers. Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang is 33 years old and not getting any younger. Kai Havertz hasn’t done much in the false-9 role.
After coming to an agreement with Christopher Nkunku about a pre-contract, Chelsea now seems to be interested in Danjuma. They have also been linked to a big move for Rafael Leao, but Danjuma could be a cheaper option.
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