The summer transfer window may have only just closed, but in the world of football, planning for the future never stops. For a club with the ambitions of Newcastle United, the work to identify and secure the next wave of talent is already well underway.
After successfully addressing their most pressing need by signing strikers Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade, the club’s attention can now turn to other areas of the pitch.
The early success of Woltemade, who has scored three goals in his first six games, has shown the value of smart, targeted investment, and the club will be hoping to repeat that formula elsewhere.
The focus now appears to be shifting towards the heart of the team: the midfield. While Newcastle boasts one of the most respected midfields in the league with the trio of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, and Joelinton, the long-term vision requires constant evolution.
According to emerging reports from Spain, the Magpies have identified a specific player they believe can take their engine room to an even higher level. The target is Oihan Sancet, the dynamic attacking midfielder from Athletic Club Bilbao.
The interest in Sancet makes a lot of sense when you look at what he would bring to the team. Newcastle’s current midfield is built on a powerful blend of Guimaraes’s creativity, Tonali’s relentless energy, and Joelinton’s physical dominance.
What they sometimes lack is a consistent, high-level goal threat from within the midfield itself. This is precisely where Sancet excels.
Last season in La Liga, he scored an impressive 15 goals, a return that would instantly add a new dimension to Newcastle’s attack.
The club is reportedly so serious about this pursuit that they are preparing a substantial offer for the summer of 2026.
The planned bid is said to be in the region of €70 million (approximately £61 million). This is a significant investment and shows just how highly they rate the 24-year-old Spaniard.
His contract with Athletic Club includes a release clause of €80 million (£70 million), so Newcastle’s opening offer is a clear statement of intent, designed to get them close to the figure needed to secure his signature.
To understand the specific qualities Sancet would offer, it’s useful to compare his profile with a current Newcastle midfielder.
The table below highlights his contributions from last season alongside Joelinton’s, illustrating the different kind of threat he poses:
| Metric (24/25 League Season) | Oihan Sancet | Joelinton |
|---|---|---|
| Minutes Played | 1,620 | 2,393 |
| Goals | 15 | 4 |
| Key Passes | 21 | 23 |
| Ball Recoveries | 77 | 149 |
As the data shows, Sancet’s game is not about the defensive, combative work that Joelinton excels at. Instead, he is a player who thrives in the final third.
His primary strength is his intelligent movement and clinical finishing, making late runs into the penalty area to score goals. He would offer a fresh and potent attacking outlet, giving manager Eddie Howe a different tactical option.
One analyst has described him as “underrated,” suggesting that his talents are not yet fully appreciated on the global stage, but Newcastle’s scouts clearly see a player with the potential to become a star.
Of course, prying a key player from Athletic Club is never a simple task. The Spanish club is known for its firm negotiating stance and its desire to hold onto its Basque talents. A transfer of this magnitude would also represent a major shift in Newcastle’s spending structure.
However, it aligns perfectly with the club’s model of signing young, proven players who are ready to make an immediate impact but also have their best years ahead of them.
For Newcastle fans, this kind of forward-thinking link is an exciting sign of the club’s continued ambition.
It demonstrates that the project is progressing to a new phase, where the goal is not just to build a good team, but to assemble a truly complete and multi-faceted squad capable of challenging on all fronts.
While a deal is far from certain, the mere fact that Newcastle is preparing such a substantial move for a player of Sancet’s caliber shows that the Magpies are not standing still. They are already building for a future where the midfield is not just powerful, but prolific.
