Journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that Newcastle United could be keen on signing Mohammed Kudus in the summer though it remains unclear what role he would want to play for the club.

What's the latest on Newcastle and Mohammed Kudus?

It seems as though the Ghana international is one of the game's hottest properties right now with certain sections of the media linking him with a big-money move away from Ajax in the summer.

For instance, reports in Spain suggest that Real Madrid are keeping an eye on Kudus. The report, however, also mentions AC Milan, Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund as possible destinations.

On top of all that, Jacobs has now told NUFC Matters that Newcastle have been tracking the Ajax player for some time and mooted him as a great fit for their midfield.

He explained: "Erik ten Hag is looking to link up with him as well, and Newcastle have tracked the player, too. There's a few teams, really - even Chelsea have taken a look as well. It's going to be very difficult for Ajax to keep hold of him. He's had a breakthrough season playing in an advanced position and scored 11 goals in 24 games.

"And I think the fit with Newcastle is actually that Kudus at the moment is playing in a front three as a wide forward, but his preferred position is attacking midfield.

"So it's a strange one in many ways, because if you like Kudus now, then you're buying a forward, but if you listen to where Kudus wants to play, he's an attacking midfielder. And I think, as I said before, Newcastle would quite appreciate an attacking midfielder, especially one that has the versatility to play in a more advanced position.

He then added: "So Newcastle are there for sure. There's nothing advanced at this point. There's nothing moving towards the summer.

"But interestingly, they had scouts watching him at the World Cup where he scored two goals and they were considering him as a possible January move.

"So there's a little bit of history there with Newcastle and Mohammed Kudus, and now we have to wait and see whether they rekindle that."

What's the latest on Newcastle and Mohammed Kudus?

The Ghanaian has shown his quality this season with 18 goals and five assists across all competitions for Ajax. However, for the most part, he has done so playing as a centre forward or out on the right wing.

As Jacobs alludes to, though, he actually prefers playing a little deeper in a central attacking midfield role. Indeed, Kudus told De Telegraaf (via Ajax Showtime): “I still feel that I can do my best in the number 10 position. I play as number nine for the team."

With that in mind, it does remain unclear where Eddie Howe would want to use him but perhaps if Newcastle were able to give the 22-year-old the freedom to play where he likes, the Magpies could be a more enticing option in the near future than someone like Real Madrid who may view him purely as a striker.

What's more, the club do seem to be in the market for a creative midfield player with a long-term interest in James Maddison. But if they can't land the Leicester City star, perhaps Kudus will be an ideal alternative.