Newcastle United could face competition from Arsenal to sign Marc Guehi.
The Magpies are eyeing the Crystal Palace defender once again, with Newcastle interested in Guehi for the second summer in a row.
While Newcastle do have doubts over Guehi, he remains Eddie Howe’s top centre-back target. However, he is not alone in wanting to sign the England international.
According to the Athletic, Guehi is high on Arsenal’s list of centre-back targets as Mikel Arteta eyes more depth at the heart of his defence.
They were one of the clubs that tried to sign Dean Huijsen, alongside Newcastle United. However, Huijsen has joined Real Madrid instead.
How Newcastle United can sign Marc Guehi ahead of Arsenal
Now Newcastle and Arsenal are looking for centre-back alternatives and could potentially go to battle for Marc Guehi’s signature.
Photo by Scott Llewellyn | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Scott Llewellyn | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Fortunately for the Magpies, Howe might have an ace up his sleeve.
The Athletic suggest that Arsenal may struggle to convince Guehi to join due to already having William Saliba and Gabriel. They are one of the Premier League’s best centre-back pairings, so it could be difficult for Guehi to get into the side.
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That is complicated further by it being a World Cup year, with Guehi boasting ambitions of starting for the Three Lions in the USA next summer.
Guehi’s World Cup goal should not be dented if he moves to Tyneside. There is a clear place for him in Eddie Howe’s starting XI, with the Magpies eyeing up Fabian Schar’s long-term replacement.
While Guehi will not walk into the Newcastle starting lineup, the opportunity is there. At 33-years-old, Schar is not going to play every game. There will be a chance for Guehi to make the position his own, and he will likely back himself to do just that.
Why Marc Guehi is not in the England squad
England have played three World Cup qualifiers so far, but Thomas Tuchel has only picked Guehi for one of them. That was the 3-0 win over Latvia back in March.
The 24-year-old is not even in the current England squad, missing Saturday’s 1-0 win over Andorra. In Guehi’s absence, Dan Burn and Ezri Konsa partnered each other at the back.
The Crystal Palace defender is not with the current England camp due to suffering an eye injury during the FA Cup final win over Manchester City.