Fabian Schär (L) passes the ball as Lewis Miley (R) defends during pre-season training
Newcastle United are waiting on Fabian Schar's contract decision - but could already have his long-term replacement in the building.
The Swiss centre-half is out of contract this summer but has been offered a new deal by the Magpies as they look to extend the 34-year-old's career on Tyneside by another year.
Schar, who joined Newcastle from Deportivo La Coruna for a bargain £3million in 2018, has made more than 200 appearances for the club but was rocked by injury last season after an ankle ligament issue in January ultimately brought a premature end to his campaign.
United are hoping that Schar signs a new deal which would allow the recruitment team to prioritise four other positions - right-back, central midfield, a winger and a goalkeeper. Should the veteran put pen to paper he would join Malick Thiaw, Sven Botman and Dan Burn in competing for the centre-half berths.
However, even if Schar does decide to move on, Newcastle could have already signed up his replacement - Lewis Miley. The youngster committed his future at the club until 2032 when he penned a new contract.
Miley broke into the first team as a 16-year-old, playing in his favoured midfield position, and while Eddie Howe insists his long-term future is in the centre of the park, Miley has shone at right-back this season and also had a stint at centre-half when Schar went off injured against Leeds United.
Former Newcastle hero John Anderson, now a pundit for [BBC](https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/all-about/bbc) Newcastle, believes Miley will end up in the heart of defence.
"It's great for him, it's great for the club to tie somebody with the ability that he's got down to six-year contracts," he said. "It gives the club leeway when it comes to if anything was happen and somebody came in looking for Lewis Miley. The club are in a strong position.
"It's great for him as well, it gives him stability to know that he's wanted, to know that he's appreciated.
"He's been unlucky with injuries, he's picked up bad injuries - broke his leg when there was nobody near him. You hope that those type of injuries don't continue throughout his career, but he's been unlucky injury-wise.
"He's got so much ability, so much talent. He's another one that can play in numerous positions. He's slotted in at right-back like he'd played there all his life.
"I think, and it's just my opinion, as good as he's been at right-back and as good as he's been in the middle of midfield, I think with his size and his stature - and he'll only get bigger and stronger - that he could turn into a real quality right-sided centre-back."
Howe admitted earlier this season that Miley has been used at centre-half on several occasions in training over the last couple of years.
"I still see his long term position in midfield but we will use him wherever the team needs as long as Lewis is comfortable with that and at the minute he is happy to play anywhere to help the team," he said.
"He was outstanding going into centre-half the other day. We have trained him there a few times over the last couple of years so we knew he could do a job in there. We sprung being a full-back on him and that was the positive surprise."