Newcastle United are looking to bring in a number of defensive reinforcements during the January transfer window and the centre-back position is a priority for Eddie Howe.

The Magpies had a bid in the region of £30million for Botman rejected by French side Lille with the Dutch u21 thought to be the ‘number one’ target for the club.

Newcastle are expected to launch a second offer for the 6ft5in defender in the coming days but may have to look elsewhere for a centre-back to help bolster their chances of Premier League survival.

Brazilian ball-playing centre-back Diego Carlos is rumoured to be a target for Howe, but the Sevilla defender is also attracting interest amongst the top clubs in Europe. The 28-year-old is one of the leading centre-backs in La Liga and certainly has the quality required to help steer Newcastle to safety.

Nico Schlotterbeck is another name linked with a move to Tyneside and has played a crucial role in Freiburg’s impressive start to the season, sitting 3rd in Bundesliga and have the joint-best defensive record with leaders Bayern Munich.

James Tarkowski is expected to move away from Burnley during the window and is another player linked to become part of the Saudi project.

The signing of England international Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid is set to be confirmed on Thursday afternoon for a fee of £12million plus add-ons.

The signing of the 31-year-old on a 2-and-a-half-year deal shows Howe’s side mean business in the transfer window and could act as a catalyst to encourage other high-profile players to join the new Saudi-regime at St James Park.

CENTRE-BACK OPTIONS

Diego Carlos

The 28-year-old Sevilla defender would be a hugely impressive signing for Newcastle and would send a message across European football that the club means business in January and other transfer windows in the future.

Carlos is highly sought after and has been rumoured to want a move away from La Liga. With Newcastle’s bid for Botman rejected earlier in the week, the Brazilian centre-back could be a potential target for the Magpies and might be interested in a move due to the exciting nature of the project at SJP.

The demanding centre-back played a key role in Sevilla’s Europa League success over Wolves and Manchester United a couple of years ago and is on the radar for a number of Premier League clubs.

Despite Newcastle sitting in 19th and staring down the barrel of relegation, having won just once in the first half of the season, the club have plenty to offer after the takeover in October. The signing of Trippier might encourage other high-profile players to take the leap and join the exciting project, with Diego Carlos being a potential signing for the club in the coming weeks.

Sevilla are expected to make a huge profit on the £13.5 million they paid Nantes for Carlos in 2019, with his market value now beyond £30m, which is likely to increase as clubs enter a bidding war to secure his signature.

Nico Schlotterbeck

Freiburg star Schlotterbeck has been linked with a move to Tyneside by Sky Sports and could become Newcastle’s new top target if they continue to struggle to make ground in their deal for the Lille defender.

The 22-year-old received his first call-up to the German national side in 2021 and has been described as a commanding centre-back by many pundits. Schlotterbeck last played for SC Freiburg on the 18th December in their 2-1 victory over Champions league hopefuls Bayer Leverkusen.

The German defender stands 6ft 3′ tall and has received praise for his dominance in the air and ability to carry the ball out from the back – a style which matches that of Eddie Howe who is keen to improve his side at the back in their battle for survival.

According to Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth, the Freiburg defender is a possible target for the Magpies, who are searching for a new centre-back this month.

James Tarkowski

Tarkowski was the bookies favourite to join the Magpies in the weeks leading up to the January transfer window and is out of contract at the end of the season, meaning he is likely available for a much lower fee than his market value.

Reports suggest the English defender’s signature could be secured for a fee of around £3million, representing excellent value for money and he would certainly strengthen Howe’s side at the back.

Perhaps the 29-year-old is a slightly underwhelming option but, he has plenty of Premier League experience and has the ability to help sure up the leaky Newcastle defence.

The towering centre-back is said to want a new challenge and with less than a year left on his contract is likely to leave Turf Moor in January. Expect Newcastle to put an offer on Dyche’s table and challenge the hand of the Burnley boss.

Samuel Umtiti

According to the Mirror, Newcastle are interested in bringing Umtiti to Tyneside on loan until the end of the season and would be willing to pay half of his huge wage bill as part of the deal.

The Daily Mail have also reported that Barcelona are offering Samuel Umtiti to Newcastle United on a potential loan move in the January transfer window.

Umtiti has fallen out of favour at Barcelona and would be a risk for Eddie Howe. The World Cup winning defender is one of the highest earners at the Spanish giants, who are looking to offload the French centre-back in January.

Barcelona signed Umtiti from Lyon in July 2016 and he has gone on to make 133 appearances for the club and helped to win two La Liga titles. He has reportedly rejected five separate proposals to leave Barcelona, but is now playing ball due to his desire to earn a place in France’s squad for the 2022 World Cup.

Nathan Ake

The ex Bournemouth stalwart is used to Eddie Howe’s style of play and is low in the pecking order at City, with Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte and John Stones ahead of him.

Howe may be looking towards familiar faces in his bid to take Newcastle to safety and kickstart the new era. With a budget of around £200million available to the Magpies in January, they may test Guardiola’s hand in the transfer window. 

On Kick Off with Hugh Woozencroft & Danny Mills, Crook said of Manchester City’s stance on the player: “Nathan Ake is an interesting one, because I know that Eddie Howe and Newcastle have definitely sounded out Manchester City. At the moment, they’re being told that he isn’t available.

Thoughts?

Who would you like to see brought to the club at centre-back? Will the Trippier deal encourage other high-profile players to move to Tyneside?

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