Newcastle United head of recruitment Steve Nickson watched on from the stands as Manchester United beat Everton 2-0 at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The Magpies have begun work for the upcoming summer transfer window – albeit without Sporting Director Dan Ashworth who began a period of gardening leave in February following interest from the Red Devils – and it sounds like he was in Manchester to check out a couple of summer targets.
There is no certainty on who Nickson was assigned to watch on the day, but The Chronicle add that we retain a keen interest in midfielder Amadou Onana and centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite. So, no prizes for guessing who he was likely to be scouting.
Brainthwaite, who turns 22 in June, has made 23 league appearances for the Toffee’s this season and is reportedly in contention for an England call up for the March fixtures.
Onana joined Everton in 2022 on a five-year deal and has made 52 league appearances since. He was linked in January, but FFP issues scuppered any move for the Belgian international.
Everton are likely to be forced to sell their top stars in summer due to financial woes and a stadium that needs completing. Newcastle boss Eddie Howe should be backed for the next window as he looks to add more quality to the squad.
