Newcastle revive El Khannouss chase after World Cup - and Eddie Howe won't like it

Bilal El Khannouss's World Cup has changed everything at Stuttgart. The 22-year-old Morocco playmaker, who impressed in his first Bundesliga season, now wants out - and Newcastle are suddenly back in the picture for a player they have tracked for some time. El Khannouss spent last season at Stuttgart on loan from Leicester before the Bundesliga side made the deal permanent for €15 million. He produced nine goals and nine assists, and the early signs suggested he was settled and ready to push on. Starting every match for Morocco at the World Cup appears to have changed that. Reports on Thursday indicated he was actively pushing for a move, and it has since been stressed that he is 'open' to leaving. Two unnamed Premier League clubs have already made inquiries, sparking his interest in a return to England. Stuttgart would rather keep him and are demanding €60 million, but that feels like a deliberate deterrent. His Estimated Transfer Value is €36 million, a much more realistic figure for someone with his profile: capable of changing a game, but not yet consistent or decisive enough in the final third to command such a fee. Newcastle were keen on El Khannouss last summer, during a window that went badly wrong. Should Bruno Guimarães complete his move to Arsenal, they would have the financial firepower to make a serious offer. According to SciSports, the Morocco star is an excellent stylistic fit at St James' Park: Newcastle rank second in his Club Fit standings with 78 out of 100, just behind Juventus on 79. That would be a tough one for Eddie Howe. He resigned from Newcastle amid another chaotic transfer window, having seen the club miss out on El Khannouss last summer while they struggled. If the move finally happens now, Howe will be left to wonder what might have been - while new head coach Matthias Jaissle gets a creative midfielder tailor-made for his system.