Manchester City and Newcastle United are reportedly among the clubs interested in a potential transfer move for Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Exequiel Palacios.
The Argentina international has been one of the stand-out performers in the Bundesliga this season, playing a key role in Leverkusen’s remarkable rise under Xabi Alonso.
According to TNT Sports, Palacios now has interest from a host of top clubs, with Man City and Newcastle said to be among his main admirers.
The 25-year-old is surely good enough to come in as a replacement for Sandro Tonali at St James’ Park after his 10-month suspension, while City might also benefit from signing cover for the injured Kevin De Bruyne.
Matheus Nunes and Mateo Kovacic joined City in the summer to bolster their midfield options after the exit of Ilkay Gundogan, but they’ve arguably not had the desired impact, so there could perhaps be room for Palacios.
Leverkusen will surely want to keep this squad together after their improvement under Alonso’s management, but it remains to be seen if they’ll be able to fight off interest in a talent like Palacios.