Newcastle United stepping up interest in Bundesliga talent
Reports are suggesting that Newcastle United could be ready to up the ante in their hunt of Bayer Leverkusen attacker, Eren Derdiyok.
The Swiss international was already being linked with a move to the Magpies earlier in the year, and it seems that the Premier League side’s interest hasn’t faded away.
Derdiyok scored the vital equaliser in Leverkusen’s 2-1 Champions League group match against Chelsea on Wednesday, which will have done nothing but good in his chances of earning a move to the heights of the Premier League.
Despite not having an entirely prolific scoring record, the 6ft 3 inch forward has proven to be a valuable asset during his time at the BayArena, scoring 19 goals in 75 appearances for the club.
The Tynesiders will also have done well to have watched Bayer Leverkusen over the weekend as they came from 2-0 down to draw 3-3 against Hertha Berlin thanks to a superb Derdiyok hat-trick.
Derdiyok made his debut for the Swiss national side in 2008 at the age of 20, and has since gone on to play 36 times for the team, scoring on four occasions. Although this scoring record may not be as attractive as Newcastle would hope for, a player with his kind of international experience can prove valuable.
The 23 year-old has 18 months left to run on his current contract and Newcastle could be ready to bolster their attacking line in January, with funds still available from the January sale of Andy Carroll.
It’s unknown at the moment how much Leverkusen will charge for their goalscorer, however given his sell-on value and now Champions League status, the German side would be expected to hold out for at least £10m for their asset.
