Newcastle United could be set to make an ambitious move for Real Sociedad striker Willian Jose, according to reports.
Rafael Benítez is keen to bolster his attacking options and is a fan of the 25-year-old, who he will look to sign once promotion back to the Premier League is sealed.
Interest is strong
The People have reported that United are one of many clubs interested in the Brazilian with the main interest coming from Everton.
Ronald Koeman is said to be a big fan of Jose and sees him as a potential replacement for Romelu Lukaku should the Belgian leave in the summer. Southampton and Watford are also said to be keen on Jose and have watched him on numerous occasions this season.
Any move from Newcastle would be an extreme statement of intent by the board with the former Brazil under-20 star thought to be valued at around £30 million.
If the Magpies were to pull off a deal it is likely to smash their record transfer fee of £16m paid to Real Madrid for Michael Owen in 2006.
His career so far
Jose started his career in his homeland with spells at Gremio and Santos before sealing a loan move to Real Madrid in 2014. The forward made 16 appearances for the B side but only featured once for the first team and was loaned to Real Zaragoza and then to Las Palmas where he scored 19 goals in 66 appearances over two seasons.
The Brazilian signed a five-year deal at Real Sociedad in July 2016 and has scored 11 goals in 22 games for the La Liga outfit this season.
Newcastle have also been linked with Guingamp winger Marcus Coco this week – who is valued at £10 million. A move for either player would certainly show United are serious about building a respectable Premier League team.