Newcastle are expected to make a formal offer to sign PAOK defender Dimitris Giannoulis next week, a report from The Athletic has claimed.
Claims had emerged from Greece last week that the Magpies, along with recently relegated Watford, are interested in signing the left-back this summer, and it now seems as though Newcastle are about to make their move.
According to the latest reports, sources close to PAOK are bracing themselves for an offer from Newcastle for Giannoulis this week, suggesting that the defender’s future may soon become clearer.
It is thought that PAOK are demanding somewhere in the region of £5million for the 24-year-old, who has two years remaining on his current contract in Greece.
That however, is a fee that the Magpies should be able to afford, and it does mean that Giannoulis is a cheaper option than another player under consideration for the Magpies to fill the left-back role, Sassuolo’s Rogerio, who is valued at £10million.
Since joining PAOK in 2014, Giannoulis has made 59 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring once.
It is good to see that Newcastle are seemingly close to making their move here.
Left-back is a position the Magpies are short of options in at the minute, and with the season not far away at all, that is something they need to address sooner rather than later.
That is something that they now look to be doing with this pursuit of Giannoulis, who does look to be a decent candidate to step in at St James’ Park, although the fact they are seemingly going for the cheap option here, rather than moving for Rogeria, may raise one or two eyebrows amongst Newcastle fans.