Newcastle have joined the race to sign goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır after sending scouts to monitor the Turkish youth international, according to a new report.
The 23-year-old took over as Trabzonspor's number one in January following the retirement of Onur Kivrak, and has gone to make 28 first team appearances.
He has been previously been linked with moves to Premier League trio Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham, but Turkish news outlet 61 Saat now report that the Magpies have sent scouts to watch a player rumoured to have a market value of around £17m.
Çakır has started all seven games in the domestic Turkish Süper Lig, but is yet to keep a clean sheet this season - conceding nine league goals and 18 in all competitions, including the Europa League qualifying and group stages
Trabzonspor currently sit third in the Süper Lig and are level on points with second placed Sivasspor, whilst they also sit third in Group C in the Europa League - though they remain without a win in that competition.
Martin Dúbravka currently occupies the number one spot between the sticks at Newcastle, but with the Slovak turning 31 in the new year, the Toon may already be looking at a long-term replacement.
News of Newcastle's interest does suggest that a separate report claiming their transfer priorities lie in midfield and attack are incorrect - but such is speculation these days that both could be true, both could be wrong and one or the other may actually be correct.
What doesn't seem to be in question though is that the Magpies do want to continue backing manager Steve Bruce in the transfer market, despite the uncertainty over the club's long-term ownership.
Former Chelsea and Manchester United chief Peter Kenyon is said to be confident of securing a £300m takeover, but many Newcastle fans will have undoubtedly taken this news with a pinch of salt - given all the instability that has dogged the club for the past decade.
Source : 90min