Newcastle have stepped up their interest in Leganes forward Gabriel Pires and tabled an initial loan bid until the end of the season with a view to making the switch permanent at the end of the season, according to Gianluca Di Marzio, via The Daily Express.
Rafa Benitez is keen to add to his squad this month in order to boost Newcastle’s chances of earning promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking as they look to cut Brighton’s two-point lead at the top of the Championship.
Newcastle already have the best squad in the division but Benitez still wants more quality in certain areas and has identified a move for Leganes’ versatile forward Pires.
The 23-year-old is an integral part of the Spanish side’s squad and Leganes are unlikely to let their No.8 go without a fight as they continue to fight for their own survival in Spain’s top flight.
Leganes are currently one place outside the bottom three but five points clear of Sporting Gijon but Pires is one of their most important players, highlighted by the fact the Brazilian has featured in more minutes of league action than any other player (1488).
Not only has Pires had more shots than any other teammate in the league this season (32), but he has also registered the most key passes in the Leganes squad (21).
For more stats on Gabriel Pires, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
