Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has blocked striker Rhian Brewster from joining Newcastle United on a season-long loan deal, according to Football Insider.
Toon boss Steve Bruce had been keen to bolster his attacking line-up with the addition of Brewster, potentially joining AFC Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson at St. James’ Park as a £20million deal for the England striker nears with a medical scheduled for Monday.
Several sides from the Premier League and Championship had contacted Liverpool to register their interest in Brewster, should his services become available, having been impressed by the 20-year-old’s exploits with Swansea City last season.
Brewster joined the Jacks for the latter half of the 2019/20 campaign and struck 10 goals in 20 second-tier appearances to help fire the south Wales side into the Play-Offs, where his sole Semi-Final second-leg effort away to Brentford failed to result in a trip to Wembley.
But Bruce will not be able to test Brewster in the top-flight this term, as Klopp is claimed to have put a halt to the England U21 international departing Anfield as the German intends to see what the forward can offer his reigning champions.
Klopp could revisit Brewster’s availability in January having had time to run the rule over the attacker, though Newcastle are now expected to move on to other targets amid reports of interest in Arsenal prospect Eddie Nketiah.
Does Bruce need to sign another ST after Wilson?
Yes
No
Reports emerged over the weekend by the Telegraph which alleged interest in Nketiah, claiming Bruce would approach the Gunners to acquire the 21-year-old should Mikel Arteta decide to send him out on loan.
Nketiah spent the first half of last season with Leeds United but struggled to feature under Marcelo Bielsa, who favoured utilising the free-scoring England U21 international from the bench before Arsenal opted to recall their academy graduate in January.
Arteta awarded Nketiah frequent opportunities to impress after replacing compatriot Unai Emery at the helm, with the London-born forward featuring in 13 Premier League fixtures on top of four FA Cup outings.
Nketiah ended the campaign with three Championship goals for Leeds and two Premier League strikes for Arsenal, plus netting twice in the FA Cup and penning nine goals in five U21 internationals in the past 12 months.
It remains to be seen if Arsenal will allow Nketiah to leave on loan, and it would be presumed that they will seek to secure certain guarantees over his game time given his struggles with Leeds and Newcastle potentially soon boasting Wilson alongside club-record striker Joelinton.