Newcastle United's top transfer target for the upcoming summer window Dominik Szoboszlai has angered current employers RB Leipzig following recent comments made about speculation regarding the attacking midfielder.
The Hungarian was involved in 22 goals across all competitions for the German outfit this season and is understood to be high up Eddie Howe's priority list, with the Englishman looking to add 'at least one or two players that can make the difference.'
Newcastle will have to be cautious when it comes to spending this summer with their budget set to be lowered slightly in order to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations but as far as Szoboszlai is concerned, the Hungary captain appears to be open to the idea of a move to St.James' Park.
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"There are always rumours about players and clubs in football," he told Sport1. "I think every kid dreams of a big club, whether it's in Spain, England or Germany. These are all big clubs in the top five leagues.
"I'm now in Germany with a top three club, but you know that football is fast-paced, so a lot can happen at any time. Right now "I only have one goal in mind: we want to bring the DFB Cup back to Leipzig."
Not only has the interview itself enraged those at Leipzig, but the timing too. Die Roten bullen are set to face Frankfurt this weekend in the DFB Pokal final.
Additionally, according to Florian Plettenberg, the 22-year-old has a release clause of around €70 million. Whether Newcastle will be keen enough to pay that sort of money is yet to be seen.
The Magpies will need to make at least one big signing this summer with Howe's side set to play in the Champions League for the first time in 20 years after finishing fourth in the Premier League.
They will also have to work exceptionally hard in order to maintain their status as a top-four club with the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham, who missed out, expected to make a push next term.
Topics: Newcastle United, RB Leipzig, Eddie Howe
Dan Hargraves