Newcastle quoted £40 million for World Cup star

Newcastle United return to action on Tuesday as they host fellow Premier League side Bournemouth in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup. 

The Magpies were arguably the Premier League’s form side prior to the World Cup, winning seven of their last eight league matches, including victories over Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

Eddie Howe’s side currently occupy third place in the table, but it appears that the Englishman is still keen to add to his squad.

According to The Northern Echo, Newcastle have been quoted at least £40 million for PSV star Cody Gakpo, who was one of the most impressive players at the World Cup in Qatar prior to The Netherlands’ exit.

The player is likely to be the subject of interest from a number of clubs in January, but now the Dutch side have hinted at how much the forward would cost.

“Only ten to 12 clubs can pay to afford Cody Gakpo in January,” PSV sporting director Marcel Brands explained.

“Let’s see if it will happen – it has to be PSV’s record sale, and also the right bid for Cody’s plans.”

At present, the highest fee that PSV have received for a player is just under £40 million from Napoli for Hirving Lozano, and Brands’ comments therefore imply that Newcastle would have to pay more than that amount in order to land Gakpo.

Gakpo was unable to prevent the Netherlands being eliminated by Argentina on Friday

Brands did also reveal that the club have so far not received any offers for Gakpo, despite his fine form.

“We still have no official bids. Let’s see if some club will pay big money in January.”

The Dutchman has been in sensational form so far this year, for both club and country.

The 23-year-old scored in each of his country’s three group stage games at the World Cup, continuing the fine run of form he had displayed for PSV before the tournament.

Gakpo has so far netted 13 times and registered 17 assists in 24 games across all competitions for the Dutch side, making him The Eredivisie’s top scorer.

His versatility will also appeal to Howe, as the player was used in a number of roles across midfield and the frontline by Louis van Gaal in Qatar.

A number of other clubs, including Manchester United, are believed to be interested in Gakpo.