Ousmane Diomande of Sporting CP heads the ball as Benfica's Antonio Silva, far left, watches on
Newcastle United are once again trawling the transfer market for a centre-back for a second successive summer window, after seeing key targets head elsewhere.
Dean Huijsen was quickly snapped up by Real Madrid while Marc Guehi appears set for a switch to Liverpool as Newcastle turn their attentions to other targets.
The list of defenders linked with United is extensive, as the Magpies' recruitment team have cast their net far and wide looking for a long-term partner for Sven Botman.
United will need Fabian Schar and Dan Burn next term to help deal with the fixtures demand, but they must plan for the long-term future. Finding the right player who ticks all the boxes is easier said than done, of course. Here's who our team of NUFC writers would go for.
Ciaran Kelly
There has been a common trend with the majority of names at the top of Newcastle United's summer wish list: they have been long-term targets of Eddie Howe's, they are 24 and under, and they have previously played in the Premier League.
However, it is striking how so few names of centre-backs have emerged into the public domain and I wonder if Newcastle will look abroad for this particular position.
There is certainly value on the continent, as Sven Botman proved, and PSG nabbed Willian Pacho from Eintracht Frankfurt for an initial €40m just last summer.
Antonio Silva is another potential option. Silva would not exactly be cheap, but the calm centre-back has the ideal blend: immense potential at 21 but, also, a huge amount of experience for his age having already won major honours with both Benfica and Portugal and played in the Champions League knockout stages.
If you want a flavour of his character, and ambition, Silva has even turned down a huge offer from Al-Hilal this summer. The defender clearly feels he has an awful lot left to accomplish in Europe.
Aaron Stokes
Newcastle need to go big with their attacking recruitment and I'd be spending the majority of the kitty on a right-wing talent and a backup striker. With that in mind, can money be saved by opting for a cheaper alternative at the opposite end of the pitch?
Premier League quality comes at a premium and if Crystal Palace still want around £50m for Marc Guehi - with one year left on his deal - it would be the smart move to seek alternative options.
The European market looks the one to target and I'd be going straight to AC Milan after the Serie A giants flopped to finish eighth, missing out on European football. Malick Thiaw is a player United watched closely last year and the suggestion is any potential suitors may not even have to part with £20m to secure his signature.
He's 23, a German international and can play both at the back and at the base of a midfield. It looks a smart move for all parties.
Andrew Musgrove
Even though the price of Premier League experience is proving very costly, I'm still going to provide an alternative from the English top flight - and it's Brentford's Nathan Collins.
His move from Wolves to The Bees back in 2023 for £23million raised some eyebrows but the Republican of Ireland international has gone from strength to strength at The G-Tech.
He's missed just six Premier League games in the last two seasons, and inevitably has been linked with a move to Tottenham following Thomas Frank's appointment. For me, he'd be perfect for Newcastle - he's got a strong aerial presence and is comfortable playing out from the back.
His wages are reportedly only £30,000 per week so there is huge scope to attract him with a big pay rise alongside the offer of Champions League football. The price would be the only sticking point with Brentford likely to want at least double what they paid for him but Collins would still likely cost less than Marc Guehi even with the Crystal Palace defender having just 12 months left on his deal.
Ross Gregory
There's been some interesting names thrown around the discussion of the next centre-half signing but if I'm being brutally honest, I've not seen the majority of them play. Giorgio Scalvini, Ousmane Diomande and Antonio Silva all have big reputations across Europe and I'm sure would fit the bill of what Newcastle want.
I'm going to add in a wildcard that I have seen a little of, though. Taylor Harwood-Bellis. England U21 captain when they won the Euros two years ago, the Manchester City academy graduate helped Southampton get promoted out on loan which triggered an automatic permanent move to St Mary's.
It's been a tough season for the 23-year-old as the Saints struggled to avoid going down in history as the worst Premier League side ever, and Harwood-Bellis made a number of mistakes as he adapted to life in the top flight. But he also showed his quality on the ball, his ability to be progressive and his defending improved as the season went on and he gained more experience.
He was capped by England last Autumn, scoring on his debut too in front of prospective father-in-law Roy Keane. He's available this summer and Southampton have just turned down a £19million offer from Porto. He may not immediately take Fabian Schar's starting spot but Harwood-Bellis has a high ceiling and will only get better over the next 2-3 years.
Stuart Jamieson
Georgio Scalvini would tick a lot of boxes but Newcastle may have to pay more than they want to prise him away from Atalanta, while I've not seen a lot of Leonardo Balerdi if I'm honest.
When it comes to Premier League experience, Brentford's Sepp van den Berg could be a shout, while Mason Holgate is currently a free agent.
My idea option would be Sporting's Ousmane Diomande. A deal has still not been struck between the Portuguese side and Crystal Palace and it feels like the ideal opportunity for Newcastle to swoop in.