Newcastle United have reportedly identified Velez Sarsfield midfielder Maximo Perrone as a potential transfer target for 2023.
The Magpies are currently enjoying their best period in the Premier League for many years, the club sitting in the top three of the standings ahead of the World Cup.
Having recorded eight wins and just one defeat during 15 fixtures in the top flight, Eddie Howe's side sit just two points adrift of second-placed Manchester City.
While 12 of Newcastle's squad have missed fewer than three league matches, it cannot be claimed that the North East outfit have not their share of selection issues since the start of August.
Midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, star winger Allan Saint-Maximin and club-record signing Alexander Isak have all spent significant periods on the sidelines through injury.
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With Champions League qualification now a realistic possibility, the Newcastle hierarchy are expected to provide funds for Howe to strengthen his squad during the January transfer window.
According to Diario Popular, Perrone could be in line for a switch to St James' Park if the respective parties can reach an agreement over a fee.
The report suggests that a proposal worth in the region of £12m may be sufficient to get a deal over the line, possibly at the turn of the year.
With the 19-year-old's contract due to expire at the end of 2023, he will enter the final 12 months of his contract in January.
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Perrone has come through the Velez Sarsfield youth ranks to establish himself as an important member of the senior squad, making a total of 33 appearances since his emergence on the scene.
As many as 10 of those outings came in the 2022 Copa Libertadores, starting each of the fixtures up to an including the quarter-finals before he was forced to miss the semi-final exit to Flamengo through injury.
The defensive-minded midfielder was able to return from that issue to clock up three outings before the end of the domestic campaign, where he played 15 times during 2022.
Perrone has also earned one cap for Argentina Under-20s, that appearance coming against United States Under-20s in a friendly earlier this year.
Darren Plant
