Newcastle target Bruno 2.0 in ‘out of this world’ £34m sensation

Newcastle United have yet to add reinforcements to their squad during the January transfer window, which has been open for business for almost two weeks.

The Magpies have, so far, chosen not to make any additions to Eddie Howegroup, but there is still time for the club to tap into the market to find more quality.

Newcastle moved up to sixth place in the table. Premier League table with a dramatic 4-3 win over Leeds United at St. James’ Park last time out in the top flight, but there is always room to improve the squad with new additions.

Newcastle eyeing Serie A star

In fact, the Magpies are reportedly looking for several Italian players who could come in and offer Howe something different in the second half of the season.

According to TEAMtalkNewcastle United are keen to sign Atalanta trio Giorgio Scalvini, Ederson and Honest Ahanor in the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Magpies are monitoring the Italian team’s performance because they are interested in these three players.

It also reveals that they ‘like’ central midfielder Ederson, who is reportedly valued at £34mas they want to add a little more ‘bite’ to their midfield ranks, alongside Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes.

TEAMtalk does not specify how likely Newcastle are to make an official approach for the midfield star in the current transfer window, as it only states that he is a target at the moment.

Why Newcastle should sign Ederson in January

The Magpies should push the boat out to bring Ederson to St. James’ Park this month as he could be Bruno Guimaraes’ 2.0 to Howe in the middle of the park.

Like Newcastle’s current star, the Atalanta central midfielder is a Brazilian dynamo capable of providing quality in and out of possession in midfield, based on his performances in Italy in recent seasons.

In fact, if we take their respective performances in the Premier League and Serie A during the 2024/25 campaign, Ederson appears to offer even more to his side than Bruno.

The graph above shows that they were very similar in a multitude of possession and attacking metrics, but the Atalanta star offered his team more defensively, with more tackles and interceptions per 90 and a greater success rate in duels.

As well as being a midfielder capable of breaking up play as a combative force in the middle of the park, Ederson has scored 13 goals in 138 Serie A appearances, according to Transfermarkt, with four or more league goals in two of the last three seasons.

This means that, like Bruno, who has scored 20 goals in 144 Premier League games, according to Transfermarkt, the Atalanta ace can pose a decent goal threat from a midfield position.

Ederson, who was nicknamed “extraordinary” of Fabio Capello for his all-round play in midfield, has been on a similar level to Bruno from a defensive perspective in the 2025/26 campaign, having generally outperformed him in all competitions over the past 365 days.

As you can see in the table above, the £34m-rated star could offer a bit more in terms of defensive efficiency, but they are both combative midfielders who like to get stuck in.

This means Ederson could be a brilliant alternative to Bruno, or even a midfield partner, when the Magpies’ current star needs to be rested or replaced.

The Brazilian star’s performances in Serie A suggest he has the physical, defensive and technical attributes to be a great addition to the team, as a midfielder who can do it all, which is why he could be such an exciting signing.

This is why PIF must step in to secure a deal for the 26-year-old star, who is in the prime years of his career, to strengthen Howe’s squad before the end of the January transfer window.

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