Newcastle have bidded for Serie A midfielder, say reports
The 23-year-old was a standout performer for the Serie A side, after he joined from Belgium club Anderlecht last season, and is valued at £12.8m, with four years remaining on his contract at Sampdoria.
But Benitez is in need of a central-midfielder, with Jonjo Shelvey in the doghouse and banned, and Jack Colback and Henri Saivet surplus to requirements.
He will need to shift the at least one of the latter two if he is to create the funds and the wage budget to bring in Praet.
The summer window has been a testing time for Benitez. It is thought that owner Mike Ashley did not give the former Real Madrid boss the transfer kitty he was promised, despite the club receiving the funds from the lucrative TV rights deal, following their promotion to the Premier League.
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