According to O Jogo, Newcastle have contacted the Denmark international's representatives to establish the terms of a possible deal and gauge whether he would even consider a move to the Premier League, marking a step beyond the simple scouting that had preceded it.
Porto themselves have received no contact and no formal proposal has been submitted, but the newspaper frames the approach as significant enough to lead its front page. With Guimarães' departure for Arsenal reportedly closing in on a fee that could reach €90m, Newcastle United know they will soon need to reinvest in central midfield, and their Saudi-backed ownership leaves little doubt they can find the money if they choose to pursue Froholdt seriously.
Porto, however, are showing no signs of concern. Their confidence rests on two pillars: an €85m release clause that would form the starting point for any negotiation, and the player's own repeated insistence that he wants to stay for at least another season.
Froholdt underlined that commitment again after scoring the winning goal in the Portuguese Super Cup: "People talk about taking the next step, but for me Porto is already a huge club. I am focused on the next league match. I like being here. Now we are going all out for the championship."
The 20-year-old only joined Porto from Copenhagen a year ago for around €20m and was voted the Primeira Liga's best player last season after a breakout campaign that yielded 51 appearances, eight goals and seven assists, along with 12 senior caps for Denmark.
Porto head coach Francesco Farioli has also played down any suggestion of an imminent departure, describing Froholdt as one of two players, alongside goalkeeper Diogo Costa, that the club considers central to their plans despite the pressures of the transfer window. Under club chairman André Villas-Boas, Porto have made clear they will not make any negotiation easy.