Newcastle United have now tabled an offer to sign a new talented defender in January, according to a fresh report, as they look to beat Manchester City to his signature.
Newcastle looking for a new centre-back
It is no secret that Eddie Howe is keen to add another centre-back to his ranks, with the club trying and failing to land Marc Guehi over the summer transfer window.
They could yet return for the Crystal Palace defender, but there is now believed to be more interest in his services, which could make any potential move to Tyneside difficult.
Brighton & Hove Albion's Georginio Rutter in action with Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi
Currently 12th in the Premier League, other sides are in a better position to offer the potential of European football next season, with both Liverpool and Chelsea thought to be weighing up a move for the England international.
This could force Howe's side to pivot on their transfer targets, and they may instead look for a younger, more promising talent who would command a lesser fee than Guehi, allowing them to spend in other areas of the squad.
Abdukodir Khusanov is one player that the Magpies are considering, while they are believed to hold a long term interest in Sporting defender Ousmane Diomande.
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He could be perfect for Eddie Howe's counter-attacking football.
Howe is keen to add fresh faces to his side in January after he admitted that his squad needed freshness: “I think freshness is important in a squad – I won’t sit here and deny that. Sometimes, the same squad can produce a staleness and a negative product."
Despite this, it is unclear the budget that the Magpies will have to use in the winter window, which could force them to sign some younger gems rather than established stars. Now, they may have found a potential bargain.
Newcastle make offer to sign young defender
That is according to SportItalia [Via Sport Witness], who report that Eddie Howe's side have tabled an offer to sign Juma Bah, currently playing in Spain with Real Vallodolid.
The 18 year-old defender is on loan from Sierra Leone side AIK Freetong, and has featured 10 times for his temporary club this season, drawing plenty of admiring glances and being labelled "quality" by his side's official X account.
Standing at 6 foot 5 inches tall, he is unsurprisingly dominant in the air, winning more aerial duels than Newcastle's Dan Burn and winning a higher percentage of them too.
Juma Bah vs Dan Burn 24/25 (Domestic League)
Appearances
Tackles and interceptions per 90
Pass Accuracy
Clearances per 90
Aerial Duels won per 90
Aerial duel % success
Manchester City are thought to be among his admirers, but Newcastle have looked to beat Pep Guardiola's side to the punch. According to the report, they have already tabled a €10m bid to sign the defender in the January transfer window.
Any deal would involve Vallodolid having to buy Bah first, before then selling him on at what would likely be a substantial profit. However, Newcastle's offer was not deemed substantial enough and Vallodolid "turned it down" and are "demanding more money" to let him leave.
Despite this, they are open to letting him leave in January, which could provide an opportunity for any interested party to steal a march on rival interest and land him at a potential bargain fee.