A fresh Newcastle United transfer claim has been made on the club’s efforts to sign a centre-back before the end of the January transfer window, with Dan Burn on the verge of a move to Tyneside.
What’s the talk?
Sky Sports reporter Pete Graves has revealed names of three other defenders the Magpies are interested in, whilst teasing that they may not be the only ones on Eddie Howe’s wishlist.
He Tweeted: “Once #nufc announce #BrunoGuimaraes signing they’ll push ahead with the centre back. Three under serious consideration! Two bids rejected so far Dan Burn. Others they’ve tracked are Carlos, Botman, Badiashile. Or might another emerge?”
Delight
Howe will surely be delighted with this news for several reasons.
Firstly, it shows that the club are looking to bring in a central defender and he will be buzzing with this as the Magpies have been dreadful defensively this season. They have let in 43 goals in 21 games in the Premier League, with Norwich (45) the only side who can boast a worse record in the division.
Howe’s men have only kept two clean sheets so far this season and they both cam in the club’s only two wins – against Leeds and Burnley. This shows that the defensive is in dire need of improvement, which is why he will be buzzing to see that it is set to be looked at.
The ex-Bournemouth coach will also be happy with the calibre of players being targeted. Dan Burn is a proven Premier League performer, with an average SofaScore rating of 6.96 this term, and could be able to hit the ground running as he knows what it takes to perform in the English top-flight, which is why his arrival could be a great start to solving the problem.
However, they could look to add another player into the mix. Sven Botman and Diego Carlos have been excelling in Ligue 1 and La Liga respectively. The former has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.15 for Lille, whilst the Brazilian has managed a score of 7.13 for Sevilla in Spain – highlighting their individual quality at the top level.
Badiashile, meanwhile, is only 20 and has been playing regularly for Monaco in France. He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.78 this season, suggesting that he may not be as good of an option in the short term as the other players on Newcastle’s list, but his age means that he has the potential to improve further.
Therefore, Howe will be delighted with the centre-backs PIF are attempting to bring in as they have all been solid for their respective clubs this season and/or have scope for improvement down the line. He will be buzzing to receive additional pieces to work with to stop the rot and put an end to their defensive issues.
AND in other news, “Rejected”: Journo reveals fresh Jan transfer setback, NUFC fans will be fuming at PIF…