Stuttgart have revealed they have an interest in signing Hugo Viana.
Stuttgart have revealed they have an interest in signing Newcastle United midfielder Hugo Viana.
The Portugal international spent last season on loan at Sporting but is back with his parent club.
Giovanni Trapattoni views Viana as an ideal candidate to replace Arsenal's new signing Alexander Hleb, but the Italian coach doubts whether the time is right to pull off such a deal.
"He is a very good and very interesting player," he stated. "But maybe it's not the right time-frame right now."
It is understood that Trap's first attempt to land the 22-year-old was rebuffed by Newcastle, even though Graeme Souness has a surfeit of midfielders on his books.
The Stuttgart boss closely followed Viana when guiding Sporting's arch-rivals Benfica to the league title last season and is an admirer of his promising talents.
Stuttgart are ready to offer a one-year loan deal with a view to a ‚é¼5 million permanent switch should the player prove to be a success at the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadium.
However, Newcastle insist they will not entertain a loan transfer as they only want to seal a permanent sale.
If the bid to sign Viana fails, Stuttgart are expected to renew their interest in Strasbourg's Swedish star Alexander Farnerud.
