Newcastle are interested in signing Lazio midfielder Matteo Guendouzi, according to reports in the Italian media.

The Magpies and Aston Villa are both said to be weighing up bids for the France international.

While Lazio are believed to be keen on keeping Guendouzi, they have limited financial resources. In order to raise funds for new signings, they would be open to letting the player go.

However, the newspaper Corriere della Sera (via Sport Witness) claim that the 26-year-old’s current asking price could be as high as €50m (£43m).

Guendouzi has been linked with Newcastle before

The Magpies were mentioned as a possible suitor for the Frenchman last summer, but his valuation was a more modest €30m (£25m) at the time.

Villa’s interest is not a complete surprise either. Their manager Unai Emery actually signed Guendouzi when he was in charge of Arsenal and he used him on a regular basis.

However, the midfielder then fell out with Emery’s successor, Mikel Arteta. He lasted just 10 months before he was loaned out to Hertha Berlin.

Guendouzi was eventually sold to Marseille, although he didn’t last long in the south of France. He initially joined Lazio on loan in 2023 and the Serie A side then paid €18m to make the deal permanent in July last year.

Howe is prioritising other positions

Strengthening the midfield is something that manager Eddie Howe may consider doing later in the summer, especially if Sean Longstaff is offloaded. The 27-year-old has just a year left on his contract.

For now, though, the main focus is on recruiting a right winger. A bid has already been rejected for Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga, but Newcastle also hold an interest in Chelsea’s Noni Madueke and West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus.

As and when one of these players is brought in, an approach for someone like Guendouzi may then be explored.

In other news, Louis Saha has exclusively told us why Newcastle should not sign an Everton striker on a free transfer