Nicolas Kuhn to Newcastle: Scouting guru updates after Celtic assessment

Newcastle United scouts have been keeping an eye on the progress of Celtic winger Nicolas Kuhn ahead of a possible summer swoop.

That is according to former Man United and Sunderland chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that there are alternative options ahead of the 25-year-old on their list of targets.

The Magpies have concerns about the jump in standard from the Scottish Premiership to the Premier League and whether Kuhn would adapt quickly enough.

This comes after he scored Celtic's only goal in a 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena as they were dumped out of the Champions League playoff round.

So far this season, the German has scored 18 goals and provided 12 assists in 37 games across all competitions and has gained rave-reviews at Celtic Park.

However, Eddie Howe is known to prefer proven Premier League players, while Newcastle have been linked with moves to sign the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Antoine Semenyo.

Newcastle warned off of move to sign Celtic star Nicolas Kuhn

Brown told Football Insider on 21 November that Celtic would have a "huge problem" if Premier League clubs came calling for Kuhn amid growing interest.

Now, the former scout who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, has insisted that Newcastle appreciate Kuhn's talent but are likely to look elsewhere.

"The Scottish market is dangerous at the moment," he told Football Insider.

"This season has exposed the level it's at and the situation it's in at the moment.

"Celtic have moved 13 points ahead without really breaking a sweat and with a team that is, quite honestly, nothing special.

"Everybody else is way down the pecking order.

"So when you're looking at players in that league, like Newcastle's scouts have been, it's about assessing whether they can make that step up to the Premier League.

"I'm not saying Kuhn wouldn't be able to do that, but it's hard to judge when he's playing in Scotland.

"I think the likes of Mbeumo and Semenyo will be higher on Newcastle's list of targets.

"They've got Premier League experience, which Eddie Howe likes in his squads, and have proven their talents so far this season.

"Both of them are quick, strong, score goals, strike the ball well - that's what they're looking for in that position on the right-hand side.

"The lad at Celtic would have to do something special to go above either of those two in the pecking order."

Eddie Howe identifies key Newcastle target in summer transfer plan

Amid growing interest in the likes of Kuhn, Mbeumo and Semenyo, Newcastle have identified the signing of a new right-winger as their priority in the summer.

Jacob Murphy, 29, has impressed in the position so far this season, notching five goals and eight assists in 26 appearances across all competitions.

However, Football Insider revealed on 14 February that the position remains the club's top target and they have also shown an interest in PSV star Johan Bakayoko.

The 21-year-old has proven to be one of the hottest prospects in Europe this season, and has emerged as the latest name on Howe's list of targets.

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