Newcastle United have a Porto transfer plan shaping up – Goalkeeper question adds intrigue

Newcastle scouts watched Porto beat Napoli 4-1, monitoring midfielder Froholdt and striker Aghehowa, both previously linked with the Magpies.

Newcastle sent scouts to Porto's Champions League match against Napoli on Wednesday, where the Portuguese side won 4-1. The visit marks Newcastle's third scouting trip to Porto in recent months, following matches against Benfica in September and PSV Eindhoven last month.

Victor Froholdt, a Danish midfielder, played the full 90 minutes. Newcastle considered him as a replacement for Bruno Guimarães during the summer, but Porto's €85m release clause and the player's reluctance to join prevented a move. Despite this, the club remains "crazy about him". Samu Aghehowa, a Spanish striker previously linked with Newcastle, came off the bench and scored a penalty in Porto's victory, his second appearance since returning from an eight-month ACL injury.

Newcastle's recent goalkeeping situation adds intrigue to the visit. The club signed Czech goalkeeper Lukáš Horníček from Braga in the summer, but he made an expensive mistake in Monday's defeat to Everton. Diogo Costa, Porto's goalkeeper and Portugal's first-choice stopper, was excellent against Napoli with five saves. While there is no indication Newcastle are looking to replace Horníček, Costa represents an obvious option should the club decide to pursue another goalkeeper.