I've smashed scoring records in Europe - now Newcastle United could sign me for £85m

Last month Newcastle United celebrated a party 70 years in the making as they lifted their first domestic honour since 1955 with a League Cup triumph against Liverpool. It was a memorable moment for all involved, but now the Magpies are laser-focused on the next phase of their revolution - achieving Champions League qualification.

Eddie Howe and his team are already guaranteed some form of European football by achieving automatic qualification for the Europa Conference League as a result of their heroics at Wembley. Howevrt, if they are to really accelerate their push to win more silverware they know they will be need to be dining at Europe’s elite table once again with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan.

As it stands, they remain on course for their goal - only Liverpool and Arsenal have picked up more points from their last 15 matches, and if they win their game in hand they will be just one point behind third placed Crystal Palace.

However, as Newcastle fans are more than aware of from last season, Champions League football also brings with it fresh demands in terms of squad depth, which has led to reports from Portuguese outlet Record that the St. James’ Park club would be about to spend big on Benfica’s Vangelis Pavlidis. But who is Pavlidis and why are Newcastle so desperate to get their hands on the rising Greek international?

How Vangelis Pavlidis established himself as an elite forward

Vangelis Pavlidis was born in the Greek city of Thessaloniki but signed his first professional contract with German side VfL Bochum. He spent three years on the books with the Bundesliga side but was limited to just four league appearances, with the bulk of his experience coming at Borussia Dortmund’s B team and Willem II in Netherlands, with the Dutch outfit subsequently making the move permanent.

Pavlidis enjoyed a solid three-year stint in the Eredvisie, scoring 33 goals and contributing 14 assists in 82 appearances where largely impressing enough to earn himself a Greece international call-up where he has remained a regular ever since.

The 6 ft 1 in forward continued to go from strength to strength after his move to fellow Dutch side AZ Alkmaar, scoring 80 goals and registering 22 assists in 137 appearances across all competitions to establish himself as one of the most feared forwards in Eredevisie. He failed to win silverware during his time with AZ, but did help the club to the semi-final of the Conference League while notably scoring winners of Lazio in both legs in the last 16 before being eliminated by eventual winners West Ham.

Last year, was his most formidable campaign to date, and after scoring 29 in 34 league matches, he moved to Benfica where has continued to be a huge hit, scoring 24 and registering 10 assists in 46 appearances across all competitions including seven in the Champions League.

Why Newcastle are interested in Vangelis Pavlidis

Newcastle United already have one of the best strikers on the planet in Alexander Isak but are in the market for more competition as Callum Wilson enters the final year of his contract. The Magpies also have William Osula on the books but have shown reluctance to throw the young Dane into the deep end at this early stage of his development.

Vangelis Pavlidis would provide the Magpies with Champions League experience and a proven track record of playing and scoring against some of the world’s best teams. He notably scored a hat-trick inside 30 minutes during a game against Barcelona - the third fastest treble in Champions League history - and also found the net against AS Monaco (three times) and Juventus.

The 26-year-old also recently became the first Benfica player to score three goals at the home of arch rivals FC Porto. He also inflicted damage on the England national team by scoring twice against them in a UEFA Nations League match during Lee Carsley’s interim stint.

Record Sport understands Benfica are seeking a figure of around £85m which would be a huge risk for Newcastle to take this summer, with the need for a centre-back, right-winger and goalkeeper also thought to be on the wish list. The same outlet aadds that Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea are the other big name heavyweights keeping close eyes on the Greek international.

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