Newcastle are closing in on the signing of Andreas Samaris.
According to a report in The Mirror a £17.5m deal for the midfielder is close to being agreed with Benfica.
Samaris fell out of favour at Benfica last season with the Portuguese side interested in a near £10m profit on the deal they made with Olympiakos in 2014.
The 28 year old was watched extensively by Newcastle in the closing weeks of the season with talks starting six weeks ago between the clubs.
Securing Samaris would be a big boost for Rafa Benitez who has had to be patient as he attempts to get deals completed with players reluctant to commit themselves early in the transfer window.
Working with the former Real Madrid boss is one of Newcastle’s biggest drawing points with the club’s reputation damaged by relegation even though Benitez made it back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
