Arsenal may fail to repeat Declan Rice trick as Newcastle ready £90m assault

Newcastle United are reportedly keen to compete with Arsenal and Liverpool for the signature of West Ham’s £90million-rated winger, Mohammed Kudus.

Arsenal have been on standby to complete a repeat of their Declan Rice trick, in which they swooped in and took the Hammers’ prized asset in order to further cement their status as Premier League and European title contenders.

However, Newcastle have now reportedly firmly entered the equation, though they will need to make some January sales to fund a deal that would surpass their club-record £63m purchase of striker Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad two years ago.

West Ham have set a £90m price tag on Kudus, who has an £85m summer release clause. Both Arsenal and Premier League leaders Liverpool, whose assistant manager Johnny Heitinga previously worked with the Ghanaian at Ajax and West Ham, could challenge the Hammers’ determination next month.

Newcastle scouts have been monitoring 24-year-old Kudus since his teenage years with Danish side FC Nordsjaelland and showed interest before his move to the London Stadium from Ajax in a £38m deal 16 months ago. The Geordies are eager to bring in a high-quality, right-sided player, and sources suggest they believe the versatile Kudus fits the bill.

However, they still have concerns over Profit and Sustainability Rules. This follows the forced sale of midfielder Elliot Anderson (£35m) and winger Yankuba Minteh (£30m) to Nottingham Forest and Brighton respectively in June to comply with PSR.

Consequently, Newcastle must look to generate funds in the upcoming transfer window, with 30-year-old Paraguay winger Miguel Almiron – a then-record buy in a £21m move from Atlanta United in January 2019 – a prime candidate to leave.

Eddie Howe, the Newcastle manager, has cautioned fans to manage their expectations regarding the upcoming January transfer window.

The Toon are grappling with a new injury to key striker Callum Wilson, and although Howe has conceded that the club’s manoeuvrability in the market is constrained by the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules, he hinted that activity could depend on player trades.

“I keep saying the same thing about January, I wouldn’t expect us to be in a position to be too active in the market. As we currently stand up, things can change. You know, if we trade players, of course that’s different,” Howe divulged on Friday.

“But if we don’t trade players, I would expect us to be quiet. Players are very astute human-beings. Players feel everything at a football club. They are the most perceptive people because they are on the front line. They are the ones delivering for us.

“So whatever is going on at a football, they’re the ones absorbing it. Naturally, PSR has had an effect on the club and we haven’t been able to strive and reach as quickly as we wanted to initially. That has been halted somewhat in various ways.

“I don’t think there’s a wish or a want from anyone to sell our best players. We’re desperate to take the team forward positively, not step back in any way. The best player we have, they’re like gold dust. We’ve got to cherish them.”