Fabian Schar is by no means finished at Newcastle United, but the club are aiming to secure his long-term replacement.
Newcastle United are trying to sign a right-sided centre-back, having narrowly missed out on Marc Guehi and Abdukodir Khusanov over the past 12 months. Dean Huijsen was also a Newcastle target, and he would have been perfect for Eddie Howe. However, Real Madrid swooped in.
The Magpies are on the lookout for other options, with Leonardo Balerdi of Marseille emerging as a contender. The Daily Mail have reported that Newcastle are looking into a £35million deal for the 26-year-old.
Marseille do not want to sell Balerdi, which is cause for concern on Tyneside. However, it is easy to see exactly why the Toon recruitment team, fronted by Steve Nickson, have identified the Argentinian defender as a transfer target.
Marseille defender Leonardo Balerdi holds his hand up during a Ligue 1 game against Lille.
Photo by ANP via Getty Images
How Leonardo Balerdi compares to Newcastle United star Fabian Schar
Finding a long-term replacement for Fabian Schar is difficult. Whoever arrives needs to be tactically astute, aggressive and incredibly competent in possession.
Fortunately, Balerdi ticks those boxes. He plays on the front foot, sniffing out danger with his ability to read the game. Balerdi takes no prisoners as he snaps into challenges high up the pitch, much like Schar. They both boast the type of aggression needed to be a successful Premier League defender.
But Balerdi can also do the pretty side of the game that Schar excels at. The 33-year-old is an expert passer, having so often unlocked defences with his incredible vision and range. He is also a mazy dribbler, with Schar having no issues with striding towards goal and dancing past opponents.
That is something that Balerdi can do too. His technical ability in possession so often relieves the pressure on Marseille, while he is able to carry the ball long distances much like Schar.
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Fabian Schar’s 2024/25 stats vs Leonardo Balerdi’s 2024/25 stats:
Fabian Schar Leonardo Balerdi
League appearances 34 27
Tackles won 21 out of 36 39 out of 54
Interceptions 45 38
Passes completed 1654 out of 1977 2360 out of 2516
Pass completion percentage 83.7% 93.8%
Progressive passes completed 118 105
Progressive carries completed 18 13
Leonardo Balerdi scores goal that Fabian Schar would be proud of
Another quality that makes Schar such a joy to watch is his ability to score goals from distance.
He has netted plenty of wonder-goals during his Toon career, including spectacular strikes against the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Burnley and Nottingham Forest.
It is also something that Balerdi has in his locker, albeit not quite as frequently. However, he did score a goal for Marseille against Monaco in January 2024 that Schar would have been proud of.
As seen above, Balerdi is not afraid to attack the space despite being a central defender, before unleashing a powerful effort from distance. He found the back of the net, sparking wild celebrations from himself and his Marseille teammates.
There will be similar scenes if he does that in a black and white shirt, but there is a long way to go before Balerdi even gets close to joining the Newcastle United squad.