An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Hellas Verona striker Giovanni Simeone... 

What's the talk?

According to TuttoMercatoWeb, the Magpies and Atletico Madrid both hold an interest in the centre-forward ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that he is set to be available for a fee in the region of £20.8m (€25m) after the Serie A side sign him permanently from Cagliari at the end of the season.

New Wilson

Eddie Howe can find the club's new Callum Wilson with a deal to sign Simeone ahead of the 2022/23 campaign as he could be the figurehead of the attack moving forward.

Wilson is the club's top scorer with six Premier League goals this term and ended the previous season with 12 strikes - four more than any other player. This shows that the Magpies have been reliant on the ex-Bournemouth attacker for the majority of his time on Tyneside, with January signing Chris Wood yet to get off the mark since his switch from Burnley.

Howe will be able to ease the burden on the Englishman by bringing in Simeone to replace what he brings to the side, which will mean that any injury absences he takes will not be as big of a hindrance in the future.

Last month, journalist Toni Padilla claimed he has found "the scoring nose" and his statistics back that up. In the Serie A this season, the Argentine has scored 15 times and provided three assists in 21 starts - his fourth campaign of scoring 12+ goals in the Italian top-flight.

He has proven that he can find the net on a regular basis in the top-flight and this means that he would be able to replicate Wilson's impact if he is able to adapt to Premier League football, with the pair - who both stand at 5 foot 9 - scoring at a similar rate in the top-flights of their respective countries.

At the age of 26, he is also heading into the prime years of his career and Newcastle could pick him up at the right moment as he continues to blossom. Howe can work with him on the training pitch to ensure that he fulfils his potential and is able to be the prolific goalscorer that his Verona form suggests he is.

His statistics indicate that the predator will be able to come in at St. James' Park and take over from Wilson on the goalscoring front and become the new frontman for Howe; that is why PIF must get this deal over the line in the summer.

AND in other news, Ashley endured Newcastle howler with "really strange" £15m dud who's "badly damaged"...