OPINION
Newcastle United have clearly done their homework on Nemanja Gudelj with it being reported earlier this year that the Magpies regularly scouting Sporting CP in the second half of last season.
According to a tweet in February by Scouts in Attendance, a reliable source for scouting information, Newcastle had watched Sporting CP play at least three times in the first couple of months of the year.
It was reported that Newcastle had a recruitment expert watch over Sporting’s matches against Moreirense, Feirense and Braga – all games in which Gudelj played in while on loan at the Lisbon giants from Guangzhou Evergrande.
#nufc scout watched #scp 3-0 Sporting Braga on 17/2…..that's at least the third time Newcastle have scouted Sporting (Lisbon) in 2019…..previously at Moreirense & Feirense matches#nufc linked to MF Nemanja Gudelj & FW Bas Dost in the past
— Scouts in Attendance (@scoutsattending) February 25, 2019
Newcastle’s hunt to sign the Serbia international this summer has finally been reported now that his Portuguese loan has ended and his contract at the Chinese Super League club set to expire at the end of December.
Portuguese news outlet O Jogo has reported that the Tyneside club, as well as Sporting, Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Real Betis, are all interested in snapping up the 27-year-old amid the uncertainty surrounding his future at Guangzhou.
The midfielder’s reported £77,000-a-week deal is edging closer to expiry and as Newcastle are hardly a team that splashes the cash on transfers, a move for Gudelj is certainly one that fans could believe in a period of so much scepticism.
Newcastle must have known that they were going to need reinforcements in the defensive midfield area earlier on in the season.
Isaac Hayden’s desire to quit St James’ Park has been known since last summer when he handed in a transfer request and the club would have always been aware that the clock was ticking on Mohamed Diame’s contract, that is set to expire at the end of this month.
Gudelj is a defensive midfielder and played in that role pretty much all season while on loan at Sporting CP and that is more than likely what Newcastle had someone watch over him so often this year.
