Newcastle United eyeing 20-year-old striker from Danish club Midtjylland but face competition from PL rivals

Newcastle United are casting a wide net to find backup for Alexander Isak as the club are desperate for a fit and ready striker to deputise the Swedish international.

The Magpies have been linked with plenty of forwards recently with Jonathan David and Victor Boniface two names high on the list for Paul Mitchell.

Part of the issue Newcastle will face when recruiting a striker is that whoever comes in will be fully aware that they're unlikely to be first choice ahead of Alexander Isak, which is why we could see Newcastle looking towards a younger, less experienced striker.

That's what we did last summer when we brought in Will Osula, but we expect if Newcastle look towards a young striker again, it's likely to be somebody more first-team ready unless Eddie Howe believes he's got Osula to the required level by next season.

Newcastle are joined by three other Premier League clubs in their interest of Franculino Dju

Newcastle are now being linked with 20-year-old Guinea-Bissau striker, Franculino Dju who plays for Danish side Midtjylland.

Dju has scored five goals in 14 league games this season, and while his goalscoring numbers aren't mind-blowing, it's said to be his ability on the ball that has caught the eye of several clubs.

Newcastle are joined by Aston Villa, Leicester City and Crystal Palace in monitoring Dju, with the player keen on a move to the Premier League, according to Caught Offside.

Franculino Dju has the raw talent that's perfect for Eddie Howe to develop

The report claims that Dju would likely be looking for first-team football right away, which could rule out Villa and Newcastle, but they would also be more likely to offer him European football, so it's something he'll have to weigh up.

Franculino Dju has a contract at Midtjylland that runs until 2029 which puts the Danish club in a pretty strong negotiating position, however, what would be a huge amount to the Danish side, may not be so for a Premier League side, so we could still potentially scoop up a bargain if he lives up to his potential.

He could be another one for Eddie Howe to nurture. If he bumps up Osula to first-team regular and Dju could take Osula's development role, it may be a cheap alternative to forking out for a big-name forward.