Following a dismal seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season, Newcastle United may have to give up one of their best players to attract new players into St James’ Park.
Magpies look for defensive reinforcements this summer.
Eddie Howe appears to be looking for players to strengthen his backline after trying to find a consistent back four previous season. One defender has already moved to Tyneside, with free agent Lloyd Kelly likely to join the club in early July after leaving Bournemouth at the conclusion of his contract.
With one already in the door, the newest reports from St James’ Park have linked Newcastle with a number of more defensive additions. Fikayo Tomori of AC Milan has been linked with a move to the Magpies, with the English defender potentially available for £42 million this summer.
Federico Gatti, a Juventus defender, is also on PIF’s buying list. The 26-year-old central defender has been linked with a £25 million move away from the Turin club, and Newcastle are reportedly preparing to make a formal approach for him.
With new faces in defence clearly high on Newcastle’s priority list, the club could potentially take advantage of the transfer window to offload one of their most dependable players in this area.
European club target Toon star
Trabzonspor is reportedly interested in signing Newcastle United defender Fabian Schar, according to the Turkish press. The Swiss centre back has just one year left on his present contract at St James’ Park, therefore he is likely to be moved on this summer.
The article goes on to say that Schar is now Trabzonspor’s primary goal in their search for a new central defender after the 2022 Süper Lig winners were unable to persuade Marseille’s Samuel Gigot to join, and they have already contacted the Magpies star.
Back in March, current Newcastle manager Howe spoke to the press about Schar’s exceptional qualities, saying: “There won’t be many centre-halves like Fabby (Schar).”
He is a one-of-a-kind defender who excels when he is fully focused and well-trained.
“He is as good a defender as I have seen. But he’d undoubtedly tell you that his strongest strengths are on the ball, and he can see and execute things that few other centre-backs can. That’s why he means so much to us.
Last season, Schar made 36 league appearances for the Magpies and scored four goals. The 32-year-old’s goal-scoring ability is well known, with the player renowned with well-placed shots that blast into the back of the net.
Sport Witness reports that because he is currently away representing Switzerland at Euro 2024, no conversations will take place until the event is over.
With Newcastle looking to sign a number of high-profile defenders, moving Schar’s £45,000 per week pay off the books could allow the Magpies to pursue some of their top targets.
