Wednesday night’s Europa League final was further evidence that the Newcastle United scouting team have their eyes on the right players.
For Newcastle United, Wednesday was all about a meaningless friendly in Melbourne that saw Mark Gillespie emerge as a hero, but the rest of the footballing world was more concerned with what was happening in Dublin.
Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta met in the Europa League final, as two of Europe’s most exciting teams battled it out for UEFA’s secondary prize. And it was the Serie A side that got the job done, with an Ademola Lookman hat-trick ending Leverkusen’s incredible unbeaten run. They had not lost any of their previous 51 games, but fell short in the Europa League final.
That was simply down to the efforts of Atalanta, who played the game of their lives. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side were immense in every department, with one of his players proving exactly why Newcastle United would love to have him at St James’ Park.
Owen Hargreaves blown away by Atalanta midfielder Ederson
There were a lot of star performers in black and blue, with Lookman hogging the headlines thanks to his incredible hat-trick.
But he was not the only man to thrive in Dublin. The same goes for Ederson, the Brazilian midfielder who just did not stop running all night.
He was immense at the Aviva Stadium, with Owen Hargreaves hailing the 24-year-old midfielder during TNT Sports‘ coverage of the final.
“Ederson, 24-years-old, someone is going to pick him up by the way,” he said.
“This is a conveyor belt of talent, selling players and they’ve done an amazing job with him, he looks tailor made for anybody’s midfield, he’s like two players in there.”
Newcastle United have been heavily linked with signing Ederson
That is a name that Toon fans will recognise, as the Magpies were heavily linked with signing Ederson as they searched for a midfielder during the January transfer window.
Newcastle scouts have watched him a lot, and it was even suggested that Eddie Howe’s side were willing to pay £34million for him in January.
Atalanta did not agree to that, and they will be glad of that fact. He was incredible during the Europa League final, covering so much ground and barely giving Leverkusen any time on the ball. His engine is incredible, making him a perfect fit for Atalanta’s pressing style.
Winning the ball back high up the pitch is also something that Newcastle try to do, so it is no surprise that Toon officials are fans of Ederson.
Despite missing out in January, rumours of Ederson arriving have not gone away. It was reported in March that Newcastle were leading the race to sign the Brazilian midfielder. Whether or not that is still the case remains to be seen, with Newcastle seemingly prioritising other positions now.
Centre-backs are due to arrive, then the Magpies will turn their attention towards a goalkeeper and a couple of forwards. That would suggest that a deal for Ederson is now off the cards.
But Hargreaves thinks he will be on the move soon, whether it is to Newcastle or someone else. His performance in the Europa League final was outstanding, with Toon fans seeing what a signing Ederson would be for the Magpies if the club do make a move.
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