Newcastle and Arsenal are both interested in signing Borussia Dortmund attacking midfielder Julian Brandt, according to The Mirror.

The English tabloid claims that the two Premier League sides could become involved in a “transfer battle” for the German international.

Brandt scored against the Magpies last week, as Eddie Howe‘s side lost 2-0 at Signal Iduna Park, damaging their prospects of qualifying from their Champions League group.

The 27-year-old’s performance would likely have reinforced sporting director Dan Ashworth’s determination to secure the player’s signature.

Brandt has had a great start to the season for Dortmund, with his goal against Newcastle his sixth in all competitions. The playmaker has contributed 5 assists as well.

Why are Newcastle pursuing Brandt?

The Magpies were looking at bringing in a no.10 during the summer transfer window. They had been heavily linked with James Maddison but the England international ultimately ended up at Tottenham instead.

Dominik Szoboszlai was also on the club’s radar but Liverpool were the ones who decided to pay the Hungary captain’s release clause. With Sandro Tonali suspended due to betting infringements, there is an even greater need to add more creativity in midfield.

In addition, Brandt’s ability to play as a winger if required means that Howe could deploy him in a number of different positions.

Would Brandt be open to the move?

It should be pointed out that the midfielder only signed a new three-year contract extension back in April. He has spent the last four and a half seasons with Dortmund, having signed from Bayer Leverkusen for £22m in the summer of 2019.

With that being the case, Newcastle may have a hard time persuading Brandt to leave, and they will likely need a sizeable transfer fee to secure his services too.

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