Newcastle United have launched a scouting mission for Portimonense’s on-loan Japanese winger Shoya Nakajima ahead of the summer transfer window, according to a report.
Twitter account Scouts in Attendance, who have established themselves as a reliable source of transfer information, primarily surrounding which clubs’ scouts are where, claim that the Magpies were joined by a host of other clubs, including Spanish giants Atletico Madrid, in watching the 23-year-old in Saturday’s defeat to Sporting.
#atleti scouts watched 23yo Shoya Nakajima in Portimonense 1-2 #scp on Sat, #nufc #saintsfc #eibar #SevillaFC scouts were also there, after 9 goals and 7 assists he's worth a look before the World Cup pic.twitter.com/kxFF5bJBxN
— Scouts in Attendance (@scoutsattending) April 29, 2018
The two cap international, who plays out on the left wing, has dazzled in Portugal’s top flight this season after signing on loan from FC Tokyo back in August, with nine goals and eight assists, and he stands at a diminutive 5’3″.
Football Insider verdict
With the future of current loanee Kenedy up in the air after his impressive form since joining from Chelsea, it looks as though Newcastle could well be sourcing his immediate replacement. Nakajima’s form in Portugal is nothing to be scoffed at, and his record of both scoring and providing goals certainly shows he has the ability to succeed in Europe. Is it enough to prove himself in the Premier League? Well there is obviously a gulf in quality between the two leagues and it would be a big risk to swap the proven Kenedy for an unproven Japanese international – but will that risk reap the rewards?
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