An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United's pursuit of Joshua Zirkzee in the summer transfer window... 

What's the talk?

According to Thursday's edition of Kicker, via Get Football News Germany, the Magpies are among the clubs interested in signing the attacker, as Dan Ashworth looks to improve Eddie Howe's options at the top end of the pitch.

The report claims that Bayern Munich would be willing to cash in on him for a fee in the region of €20m (£17m), although it remains to be seen whether or not the Toon will firm up their interest with a bid.

It is stated that, despite Borussia Monchengladbach and Augsburg eyeing him up, a move to another Bundesliga team is unlikely because of the finances involved.

Imagine him & Allan Saint-Maximin

Ashworth could form an exciting partnership for Newcastle in the final third by signing Zirkzee to pair him with Saint-Maximin.

In the Premier League last season, the Magpies wizard provided 1.4 key passes per game and created seven 'big chances' for his team-mates. However, he only registered five assists, which suggests that the team did not make the most of his creativity.

This was also the case in his first two top-flight campaigns with the club as he created 14 'big chances' and was rewarded with eight assists.

The Frenchman addressed this issue in an interview earlier this year in which he claimed that he could reach 15 assists in a season with better finishers around him.

Zirkzee, who has been dubbed "prolific" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, could be the dream team-mate for Saint-Maximin, as his goalscoring record at youth and senior level in recent seasons is eye-catching.

He spent the 2021/22 campaign on loan at Anderlecht in Belgium and racked up 18 goals and 13 assists in 47 outings in all competitions. This came after he scored a whopping 40 goals and set up 16 in 49 matches for Bayern's under-17 and under-19 teams combined.

Zirkzee then scored four goals from 2.66 xG in 12 Bundesliga outings for Bayern, showing that his finishing has been above average, albeit with a small sample size.

These statistics suggest that the marksman has the potential to be the finisher that Saint-Maximin is crying out for, as he has shown that he can find the net on a regular basis.

At the age of 21, he is also a player with the scope to develop further under Howe's coaching, and he could be a player that Newcastle - and Saint-Maximin - enjoy for many years to come.