Newcastle are understood to have approached Juventus' Aaron Ramsey in regards to a £13.5m move, however, the midfielder has rejected a move to Tyneside.
Despite having spent little over a year in Turin, reports suggest Juve are already already keen to sever ties with Ramsey this summer, as they look to offload some of the high earners from their payroll.
Italian newspaper II Giornale report that Newcastle are eager to open talks with Ramsey about a summer move, but with the ownership of the Magpies yet again up in the air, it seems difficult to envisage such major business taking place over the next few weeks.
In any event, Ramsey is said to have rebuffed the club's advances. While Mike Ashley's tenure as Newcastle owner is seemingly unclear, Toon boss Steve Bruce has remained adamant throughout the summer that he would continue with his transfer plans as usual, even though his future is also rumoured to be on on the line.
The Magpies have already secured the free signing of former Burnley man Jeff Hendrick, while Mark Gillespie has also arrived on a free from SPL side Motherwell.
Despite Newcastle's advances on Ramsey being rebuffed, the midfielder's future with the Italian champions seems far from clear.
Having arrived on a free transfer from Arsenal last July, Ramsey endured a frustrating first season in Italy. The 29-year-old went on to make just 11 starts in Serie A, with the club seemingly losing patience with their £400,000-a-week midfielder.
However, finding a potential suitor for a player tied down to such an eye-watering deal could prove to be very difficult.
Juventus are set for a complete overhaul of their squad following the arrival of new head coach Andrea Pirlo. Ramsey is just the latest in a long line of big names told they can seek pastures new, with Gonzalo Higuain and Sami Khedira also set to leave the club before the start of the season.
Source : 90min