Newcastle United have begun to look elsewhere after being rebuffed by one of their early summer targets.
Plenty of names have been linked with a switch to black-and-white as Eddie Howe prepares for a big summer, where moves for a centre-back, right winger, striker and goalkeeper appear to be our main priorities.
The media seem to think we will miss out on both Matheus Cunha and Liam Delap to Manchester United, and a third name believed to be near the top of our wishlist is now close to completing a move to the world’s biggest club.
Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen is on the verge of completing a move to Real Madrid after rejecting a contract proposal from Newcastle, according to Mark Douglas of The i Paper.
The Magpies are seeking a young right-sided centre-back with Fabian Schar in the twilight years of his career and were prepared to meet the £50m release clause inserted into Huijsen’s contract at Eddie Howe’s former club.
A move to the Spaniard’s home nation is preferred, however, with Douglas revealing that the 19-year-old ‘rejected’ proposals from Newcastle, Arsenal and Liverpool after all three held discussions.
With the player’s agent now in Madrid and the Galacticos triggering his £50m buyout clause, it’s now “only a matter of time” before his switch to La Liga is sealed.
Newcastle had already moved on to other targets a fortnight ago, according to the i, so it will be interesting to see which names emerge as we bid to bolster our back line ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Dean Huijsen says whether he wants to join Newcastle United as Paul Mitchell is sent a message
Newcastle were linked with Dean Huijsen last summer before the centre-back left Juventus to join Bournemouth for £13m, a clear bargain that has been missed.
Easy to say with hindsight of course, and at least Juve reinvested that £13m and a little more into Lloyd Kelly, but it’s a shame that we weren’t able to get a deal for the Spaniard over the line last summer.
Hopefully sporting director Paul Mitchell can continue to find gems in a similar ilk in the coming years. Perhaps he has already got ahead on next season’s business with Antonio Cordero, who will arrive from Malaga with huge promise next month before heading out on loan.