AC Milan ‘close in’ on deal for striker wanted in £32.5m Newcastle United transfer

Here, we round-up all the latest stories that have emerged from St James’ Park and beyond:

AC Milan ‘close in’ on striker wanted by Newcastle United

AC Milan are closing in on a deal to sign Red Bull Salzburg striker Noah Okafor. The 23-year-old is set to switch the Austrian Bundesliga for Serie A in a deal worth a reported €15m.

Okafor netted ten goals in all competitions for Salzburg last season, including a strike against his potential new employers in the Champions League group stage. Earlier this month, Okafor revealed that Newcastle United were interested in signing him last summer, telling the Say Less Podcast: “I had a lot of offers, four or five for sure.

“Newcastle was there, West Ham was there, Dortmund a bit too. Suddenly it started, I had so many clubs. 

“I think Newcastle bid 38 million euros. I didn’t even know. Salzburg always said ‘we want you to stay’.”

Manchester City ‘eye’ Nicolo Barella deal

According to Tuttomercatoweb, Manchester City have shown interest in signing Nicolo Barella this summer. Barella was briefly linked with a move to Newcastle United before the club moved for AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali.

The report suggests that Barella, who is also reportedly wanted by Liverpool, could act as a replacement for Bernardo Silva with his future at the Etihad Stadium currently up in the air. Pep Guardiola’s side have already lost Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona this summer but have added Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic to their ranks in a £30m deal.