Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez has made a phone call to FC Utrecht striker Sebastian Haller in order to persuade the Frenchman to join the Magpies, according to L’Equipe.
The French newspaper believes that Haller would be keen on a move to St James’ Park but there is a lot of competition for the 22 year old’s signature. Ligue One club Monaco and Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon are also believed to be looking at signing Haller. The striker scored 17 goals in the Eredivisie for Utrecht last season, and his profile fits with the target man that Rafa Benitez wants to sign before the end of the transfer window.
The Evening Chronicle have reported that Haller could be available for as little as £6million but L’Equipe also revealed last week that Utrecht had accepted a €15million from Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande but the Frenchman turned down the move as he looks to make his mark in European football.
