As per Shields Gazette, Newcastle scouts were present during Tuesday night’s Champions League clash between Benfica and CSKA Moscow, and one of the players they most likely went to watch was summer transfer target Andreas Samaris.
Unfortunately, the Greece international midfielder was an unused sub as the Portugal giants slumped to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the visiting Russians.
With the Toons sparsely involved in the buzz of activities during the last summer transfer window, recruiting when the market re-opens in January is definitely a priority, and it can be expected the club’s scouts attend a lot of Champions League fixtures this season to scour for unheralded talents across the continent.
Newcastle reportedly tabled a £13.5million bid for the 29-cap Greek International back in August, but Benfica held out for £18million, resulting to break down in negotiations.
Andreas, 28, has a contract with the Portuguese giants until the summer of 2019, and considering he hasn’t been heavily used in recent seasons, an exit to Newcastle could still be possible if both sides strike a deal at the negotiation table.
