Newcastle scouts saw Porto’s £71m midfielder play 90 minutes and their old striker target score, as 14 clubs packed the Dragão

Newcastle United were back at the Estádio do Dragão on Wednesday night, and the two Porto players they have already tried to sign both gave their scouts something to think about.

According to A Bola, Newcastle were one of 14 clubs represented at Porto’s 4-1 Champions League win over Napoli. Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Atlético Madrid, Brentford and Ipswich Town also had people in the stands.

It was not a one-off trip, either. Newcastle watched Porto against Benfica in September and went back for their game against PSV Eindhoven last month, so this is a club they are following closely.

Is Victor Froholdt still a Newcastle target?

He is the obvious name. The Danish midfielder was one of Newcastle’s preferred options to replace Bruno Guimarães in the summer, but the move never happened. Porto pointed to his €85m (£71m) release clause, and the player was not especially keen on joining.

That was hardly encouraging, yet Newcastle are said to still be “crazy about him”. The 20-year-old played the full 90 minutes against Napoli and remains a key player for Francesco Farioli, even if Gabri Veiga took most of the headlines.

Samu scores on his way back from a serious knee injury

Then there is Samu Aghehowa. The Spanish striker was repeatedly linked with Newcastle before an ACL injury kept him out for almost eight months, and he has only recently returned.

Wednesday was another encouraging sign. Samu replaced André Silva in the 56th minute, missed a good chance when Alex Meret saved, and then got his goal anyway. In the closing minutes Rafa Marín brought him down in the box and was sent off, and Samu took the penalty himself to make it 4-1.

Why the goalkeeper adds a twist

Diogo Costa is the other name worth watching, given how Newcastle’s last week has gone in goal. Lukáš Horníček arrived from Braga in the summer on a five-year contract and started well, but his costly mistake in Monday’s 1-0 defeat to Everton was the second error to cost Newcastle recently, as we covered in our Newcastle predicted lineup vs Fulham.

That does not mean Newcastle want to replace him. Horníček is 24, talented and still adapting to English football three months after arriving. But Costa, Portugal’s first-choice goalkeeper, was excellent against Napoli, making five saves, including two in a row just before Scott McTominay finally beat him for the equaliser.

Who else did the scouts see?

Santiago Giménez came off the bench for Porto in the 67th minute and needed four minutes to set up Veiga’s goal, which put Porto back in front. Napoli’s Antonio Vergara, a 23-year-old attacking midfielder and a Tottenham target in the summer, started and played until the 79th minute. Neither has been named as a Newcastle target, but both were there to be watched.

Verdict: Froholdt is the one worth chasing again

Newcastle’s midfield has looked short of ideas lately, and Matthias Jaissle has publicly questioned his players after the Everton defeat. A 20-year-old Porto trust for 90 minutes against Napoli is exactly the kind of midfielder they have been missing.

The problem has not changed since the summer, though. An €85m clause and a player who did not fancy the move are two big hurdles. Samu looks the more realistic option of the two, but after almost eight months out, Newcastle will want to see a lot more of him before they make a move.