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Newcastle are reportedly eyeing a move for Sassuolo midfielder Stefano Sensi.
What’s the story?
According to The Northern Echo, Newcastle face “enormous competition” from Europe’s best in the race for Sensi.
The report claims the Magpies have been scouting Sensi for more than a year, but several clubs in Italy, Spain and England are also tracking the 23 year-old.
It states that Jonjo Shelvey and Isaac Hayden are both likely to leave this summer, with Huddersfield’s Aaron Mooy and Fulham’s Tom Cairney also on the radar as possible replacements.
The report adds that Sensi’s price initially stood at £21.4m, but that could rise now with several clubs vying for his signature.
Is he worth it?
With £21.4m now looking like the opening bid rather than the actual price, the Magpies will be forced to think long and hard about pursuing Sensi more seriously.
If they pull the trigger though, they would be getting a technically supreme midfielder who combines penetrative passing with defensive solidity like few others.
At just 23, the young Italian has wowed spectators in Serie A with his maturity and composure on the ball, completing 91 per cent of his passes while averaging 1.7 key passes per game, per Whoscored. To complete such a high percentage of his overall passes despite clearly being keen to look forward and cut through the lines is extremely impressive.
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Aforementioned, he also chips in at the other end, averaging 1.5 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game.
He has also recently earned two Italy caps, and it takes some doing to get into a midfield consisting of Chelsea’s Jorginho and PSG’s Marco Verratti.
With Shelvey nearing the exit door, the Magpies cannot rely on 21 year-old Sean Longstaff as their only technician in the middle, and if Sensi can form a long-term pairing with the local lad then he would be worth every single penny.
