The latest transfer talk from St James Park as a new name is added to the list of Newcastle United’s reported transfer targets.
Newcastle United are said to be keen on a move for Botafogo striker Igor Jesus after he marked his Brazil debut with a goal over the weekend.
The 23-year-old frontman came through the youth ranks at Brazilian club Cordiba before joined UAE Pro League club Shabab Al-Ahli in a £1.4m move in October 2020. After scoring 43 goals and providing 20 assists in just 87 appearances, Jesus returned to Brazil on a free transfer this summer when he completed a move to Botafogo and he has made an impressive start to life at the Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos. After scoring his first goal for his new club in a 4-1 win at Atletico Club Goianiense in July, the forward has gone on to score seven goals in 19 appearances. His form earned him a first senior call-up to the Brazil squad and he made an instant impact by scoring an equaliser in a 2-1 win against Chile in a World Cup 2026 qualifier on Friday.
Newcastle supporters will have taken a keen interest in that Brazil win after Magpies midfielder Bruno Guimaraes came off the bench to replace Wolves star Andre and earn his 27th senior cap. However, reports in Spain have suggested the Magpies fans may well have had another reason to keep a keen eye on Brazil after their latest goalscorer was linked with a move to Tyneside. Spanish news outlet Fichajes have suggested Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle have ‘set their sights’ on a move for Igor, with the Gunners said to have ‘closely followed’ his progress for club and country. Although not revealing which club submitted the offer, the report also claims Botafogo have rejected a bid of £8.3m and are expecting to receive offers between £25m and £33m over the coming weeks and months.
Newcastle are believed to be keen to add to their squad over the next two transfer windows and have been linked with moves for the likes of Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lille star Jonathan David in recent weeks. The Magpies hierarchy are said to have held a number of meetings in recent weeks as they prepare for the January transfer window, with a defender and a winger also said to be on the agenda for the first month of the new year.
Speaking of the Magpies future plans after an underwhelming summer transfer window, sporting director Paul Mitchell said: ‘There are things we got wrong in our strategy for sure. Me coming in when I did probably wasn’t the best timing for the organisation but what it has done is allow me to witness a process. And now it allows to me to analyse that process and make sure we put the next – ultimately January, next summer, five years down the line – process in place where we can become a sustainable high performer. As custodians of this club we can’t just keep spending, spending because at some point that won’t enable the club to facilitate its goals and I don’t think any Newcastle fan wants to see this club in a place where other clubs were last season with docked points, with financial penalties because that can really affect our growth.”
