Despite bolstering the ranks this summer, Newcastle United still look to be in the hunt for further midfield signings, and have identified Brazilian prospect Victor Hugo for transfer.
What's the latest on Victor Hugo to Newcastle?
That's according to Brazilian outlet Bola VIP, who claim that the midfield talent has left the Magpies enamoured after his performances in his homeland, with the Premier League outfit 'monitoring' his progress.
It's even believed that Eddie Howe's side will now look to invest in the dynamic midfielder, with a formal offer for the 19-year-old now said to be forthcoming.
Newcastle are expected to table a bid of €24m (£21m) for Hugo and expand the Brazilian core of their centre, with Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton already plying their trade at St. James's Park.
Who is Victor Hugo?
Guimaraes is not only Newcastle's starring Brazil international but one of the most impressive stars in the Premier League.
The magnitude of his arrival to orchestrate the long-awaited Tyneside renaissance cannot be understated, and each of his 57 appearances for United have succeeded in continuing the ascent since his £40m move from Lyon in January 2022.
His arrival coincided with the genesis of Newcastle's turnaround, just a few months on from the affluent PIF takeover and Howe's deployment in the managerial role, and he is now renowned as the centrepiece of the club's midfield, hailed as "magnificent" by Alan Shearer.
Hugo will hope to emulate his senior peer and utilise his own positional versatility, having played centrally in offensive and defensive roles this term – as well as occasional stints out wide.
Described as the "steering wheel" of his side for his sway over the Fluminense system by journalist Rodrigo Lima, Hugo might be in the early phase of his career but is already attracting attention for his performances.
As per Sofascore, the teenage talent has produced an average match rating of 6.98 in the Brazilian top-flight this year, scoring a goal and assist from 15 appearances (just five starts), completing 88% of his passes, forging 1.1 tackles per game, winning 63% of his ground duels and succeeding with 72% of his attempted dribbles.
He bears the emblem of prodigious talent and is a rising star with a variegated ability to allow him to thrive at the highest level, also ranking among the top 3% of midfielders across Men's Next 8 divisions – behind the big European five – for progressive carries and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, which could serve him well on Tyneside if he does put pen to paper this summer.
Guimaraes plays more of a deep-lying role than his countryman, but thrives among a multitude of midfield roles and would be an apt mentor for Hugo to absorb the fruits of his craft, having been described as "world-class" by teammate Dan Burn for his impact at the club.
And he also ranks among the top 13% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for shot-creating actions, progressive passes and successful take-ons, indicating his superlative technicality, which could be passed on to someone like Hugo.
Howe is making all the right moves to consolidate his squad's success last term and continue the meteoric rise into the fresh campaign, one that will hold heightened expectation and a return to European competition, and while Hugo would initially serve as an understudy of sorts, it might be the perfect time to sign him on and mould him into a first-rate phenom.