An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in signing Alvaro Morata in the upcoming summer transfer window...

What's the talk?

According to Calcio Mercato, the Magpies are keen on a deal for the Spain international as Juventus have opted against signing him.

The report claims that they do not want to pay the €35m (£30m) option included in his loan deal to make it permanent, which has opened the door for other teams.

Newcastle, Arsenal and Barcelona have all made enquiries as they consider making a swoop to sign the Atletico Madrid forward.

Big Chris Wood upgrade

Dan Ashworth, who recently arrived as the club's sporting director, can seal a big upgrade on Wood by securing a deal to sign Morata this summer.

In two Serie A seasons on loan with the Old Lady, the Spaniard scored 20 goals and provided 16 assists, creating 20 'big chances' in total.

He has proven at the top level that he can score and assist goals on a regular basis. Whilst he is not a prolific scorer in the style of a Karim Benzema or a Robert Lewandowski, he offers a scoring threat and a heap of creativity from a forward role.

Juventus boss Max Allegri hailed the attacker earlier this year, saying: “Morata is one of the best in Europe at a technical level, he struggles with his back to the goal, but if he goes diagonally, with into space, he's better and brings his characteristics to the table. There are many of them.”

He has also proven his quality in La Liga and the Premier League, scoring 12 goals in 25 starts in his last season for Atletico and 16 goals and six assists in 35 starts for Chelsea. This shows that he can adapt to playing in different countries and teams, which suggests that he would be able to hit the ground running under Eddie Howe.

Meanwhile, Wood scored five goals and failed to provide a single assist in 32 starts in the 2021/22 campaign for Burnley and Newcastle combined.

The 30-year-old struggled in front of goal and has never managed more than three assists in a season at the top level, which shows that he does not have the creativity to fall back on - as Morata does - if he is not scoring.

Therefore, signing the Atletico gem would represent a big upgrade on the New Zealand international and Ashworth must now work hard to pip the likes of Barcelona and Arsenal to his signature.

AND in other news, "Newcastle asked..": Reporter delivers big transfer claim that'll leave Howe excited...