Newcastle in pole position to sign Champions League star who created 0.60 big chances per 90
Davide Frattesi's performances in the Champions League make him the ideal addition to Newcastle's midfield ranks this summer.
Eddie Howe is keen to further bolster his midfield ranks this summer amid uncertainty around the future of Bruno Guimaraes.
He has already seen key man Sandro Tonali move on to Spurs, while Joe Willock could leave St James' Park amid interest from Europe.
Newcastle are exploring more additions to their options in the middle of the park despite already signing the likes of Sean Steur and Aladji Bamba.
Sources say Newcastle are in pole position to sign Inter Milan star Frattesi, and he is open to a move to the Premier League.
Frattesi has not been a regular for Serie A champions Inter over the last 12 months, but is a fully-fledged Italy international and has played over 150 times in the top flight at 26-years-old.
How has Davide Frattesi played in the Champions League?
Frattesi is a box-to-box midfielder who can also play as a number 10, so would effectively be a like-for-like replacement for Guimaraes if he moves to Arsenal.
Newcastle failed to qualify for the Champions League for the upcoming campaign, but their long-term aim remains to regularly feature in Europe's premier club competition.
Frattesi would represent an ambitious addition to Howe's ranks, considering his past performances and wealth of experience in the UCL.
The 26-year-old registered an assist on his Champions League bow against Real Sociedad in September 2023.
He went on to pick up another two assists in his next appearance against RB Salzburg, then scored his first goal in the competition in November against Benfica.
Frattesi emerged with an impressive 0.6 big chances created per 90 from his seven Champions League appearances that season, while he also won 5.81 duels per 90 and drew 2.81 fouls per 90.
The next season saw him score twice in 13 games and four starts in the Champions League as Inter made the final, with a late winner against Bayern Munich in their quarter-final first-leg clash.
Last term saw him perform excellently in several areas, mostly off the bench as he started three times in seven UCL games.
The Italy midfielder emerged with outstanding sprinting stats (324m per 90), while he won 6.06 duels per 90, took 6.67 touches in the opposition box per 90 and made 2.12 tackles per 90.
What has Frattesi's agent said about a move?
Sources have previously told Football Insider that Nottingham Forest are keen on signing Frattesi, and the latest report from Italy claims that they remain in the race for his services alongside Newcastle.
The 26-year-old could well push to leave Inter this summer, with his agent Beppe Riso, who also represents Tonali, recently admitting that talks over a switch will soon be held.
He said: "I still have to meet with Inter, as soon as I meet them we’ll know. It’s an evolving situation, there are situations, but first I have to talk to them about it. Is the Juventus option still open? I won’t discuss these things before speaking to Inter. It doesn’t seem right to me.”