According to reports coming out of Spain, Newcastle United are plotting an ambitious bid for Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen in the new year.
Newcastle made it very clear in the summer transfer window that they were desperate to sign an experienced Premier League defender to bolster their squad ahead of the new season, but failed to see it over the line.
Crystal Palace and England star Marc Guehi was the object of the Geordies’ desires over the final weeks of the transfer window, but after failing to convince the South London club with a £65m bid resigned to defeat and went into the season without their intended target.
It is hard to say whether the signing of Guehi would have boosted Newcastle’s current progress in the Premier League, as they have been struggling for consistency at both ends of the pitch over the campaign so far.
Indeed, in recent weeks the attacking threat has found their shooting boots and a morale-boosting 4-0 victory over Leicester City on Saturday will definitely have lifted the spirits of supporters and injected some confidence into the squad ahead of their EFL Cup quarter-final clash with Brentford this week.
However, there will be many still keeping a firm eye on the potential of an exciting and transformative transfer window when the market reopens in a few weeks, as there is lots of room for improvement in the current squad.
It is looking like Newcastle has moved on from their Guehi fixation though, as reports in Spain have revealed that Newcastle are very interested in acquiring the services of Barcelona centre-back Andreas Christensen in January.
It is claimed by the publication that the North East giants are planning to relieve Sven Botman of the pressures to return by signing the former Chelsea star and adding much-needed quality depth to their backline.
It is further noted that Christensen is looking set to have his game time reduced over the second half of the season, with the imminent return of Ronald Araujo from injury, which could make a Premier League return an attractive prospect for the defender.
Will Newcastle sign Andreas Christensen?
There is no doubt that the depth of the Newcastle squad is lacking experience and quality, especially in defence, so for the right price Christensen could be a worthy candidate to fill the role.
Over 30 La Liga appearances last season, the 28-year-old – once hailed a “top class defender” by former Newcastle striker Jon Dahl Tomasson – scored two goals, registered two assists and successfully completed a 94% pass accuracy, as well as averaging 58.3 touches, 3.6 ball recoveries and three duels won per game.
Not only that, Christensen ranks in the top 5% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues over the last 12 months for aerial duels won, non-penalty goals and pass completion, whilst also ranking in the top 18% for clearances per 90 minutes played, as per FBref.
Indeed, Botman is expected to start return to action in the new year if all goes to plan with his recovery from ACL surgery, but Howe will be extremely cautious not to undo the hard work put into his recovery and to alleviate the pressure to speed up his return, the signing of another defender would be a smart move for the club.
It is reported that it would only cost £25m to sign Christensen in the winter transfer window, which suits the strict budget Newcastle are adhering to much better than their approach for Guehi whilst also providing them with a player who has great Premier League experience from his stint at Stamford Bridge.
With that being said, this potential move will be one to watch for the St James’ Park faithful, as Christensen could be the perfect solution to a long-standing problem on Tyneside ahead of the second half of the season.