Newcastle United’s interest in Marrony is “more mature” than that of Sporting Lisbon and FC Porto, according to Brazilian outlet O Globo.
The Magpies have been credited with being keen on the 20-year-old forward, with the Daily Star claiming he could be available for as little as £11 million.
And it is understood that despite interest from the two Portuguese giants, the Toon Army are the most advanced in their efforts to sign him from Vasco de Gama this summer.
OPINION
This is certainly promising news. The Magpies definitely need at least one more forward the summer, after losing Salomon Rondon, Ayoze Perez, and Joselu already during the current window. Marrony could be that player. The youngster averaged 1.9 shots on goal per match and 2.1 successful dribbles per game in Brazil last season, as per Whoscored, and the signs are that he is a real live wire who could bring an exciting new dimension to their threadbare attack. Ordinarily, the interest of two sides like Sporting and Porto would be a real concern, and they could still prove to be flies in the ointment for the Toon Army, but by the sounds of it, United have stolen a bit of a march on their rivals, and are in the driving seat with this one. Whether that will be enough to see them over the line remains to be seen, but at the moment, there is cause for cautious optimism.
