Newcastle United may face a former target this Saturday when Crystal Palace visits St James’ Park. Newcastle had closely monitored 19-year-old Brazilian prodigy Matheus Franca for an extended period, and numerous sources suggested that they were about to make an offer.
However, this potential move never materialized, and Franca eluded Newcastle, ultimately signing with Crystal Palace under the management of Roy Hodgson. The transfer fee for Franca’s move to Palace amounted to £26 million, with Brazilian club Flamengo potentially receiving a substantial portion of that sum.
Regrettably for Hodgson, Franca’s medical examination revealed a stress fracture in his lower back, preventing him from making his debut for Crystal Palace thus far. Reports from London News Online now suggest that Franca might be included in the Crystal Palace lineup for their match against Newcastle at St James’ Park.
Franca has limited experience in top-flight football, having made only nine appearances in the Brazilian Serie A for Flamengo last season, where he scored a solitary goal. Nonetheless, his performances caught the attention of numerous scouts, earning him a place on this year’s NXGN list of the top 50 young football talents in the world, highlighting his high regard in the football community.
There is hope that he won’t have a significant impact on Saturday’s match, making Newcastle manager Eddie Howe rue the decision to let him slip away to another club. Despite both teams having a tendency for goalless draws, there is optimism that this game might see some goals this time around.
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