Newcastle plan audacious £45m bid for Nigerian playmaker Ebere Eze in the summer

ENGLISH Premier league giants Newcastle United is planning to launch an audacious £45m bid for Nigerian playmaker Ebere Eze during the summer transfer window as part of an ambitious championship-chasing rebuilding programme.

Newcastle became the wealthiest club in the world last year following a £305m acquisition by a Saudi-led consortium. Under the terms of the ambitious acquisition, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund took our an 80% stake in the club, with the remainder held by PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports & Media.

During the last January transfer window, the new owners began a massive recruitment campaign as Newcastle were in the drop zone and fresh players were needed. Last month, Newcastle had actually offered Crystal £5m to take Ebere on loan for the rest of the season with a view to a £35m permanent switch at the end of the season.

However, this offer was rejected, so Newcastle intend to return with a £45m offer to buy the player outright in the summer. Palace did not want to sell one of their players mid-campaign, especially to a top flight rival but come the summer they may be forced to as a £45m bid would mean them more than doubling the £17m they spent on the player they signed from Queens Park Rangers 18 months ago.

Greenwich-born Eze, 23, scored four goals in 34 Premier League appearances last season before suffering an Achilles injury in May. That has restricted him to just one Premier League start so far this term but he has already established himself as one of the most creative playmakers in the English Premier League.

Eze, who still has three-and-a-half years left to run on his contract, is currently being sought by the Nigerian Football Federation, who want him to feature for the Super Eagles at senior international level. For now, the player is still considering his options and this week, the NFF chairman and the Super Eagles coaches visited London to persuade him and Palace team mate Michael Olise to opt for Nigeria.