Newcastle United interfered in Sporting's pursuit of Issa Doumbia when he was at Venezia, but the Portuguese club's approach was more appealing. Newcastle, which monitored Doumbia last season, continues to consider him a target alongside other clubs like Juventus, Roma, and Brentford. The 22-year-old joined Sporting in July 2026 for a reported base fee of €20 million and his contract runs until 2031 with a reported €80 million release clause.