Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing a move for an “extraordinary” defender this summer, seeing him as a strong alternative to Marc Guehi.
Newcastle’s Guehi pursuit goes on
The Magpies’ pursuit of the England and Crystal Palace centre-back has been one of the main transfer sagas of the summer, with the Tyneside club trying so hard to strike a deal for him.
Guehi captained the Eagles in their 2-1 defeat away to Brentford in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, and his current club are proving to be extremely stubborn when it comes to keeping hold of arguably their most important player.
Newcastle have now seen four separate bids for Guehi rejected by Palace, including one worth £65m, with the South London side only willing to part ways if another club match their lofty asking price in full.
With the situation ongoing, and time running out in the summer transfer window, it is important that the Magpies also keep an eye on other options, should they eventually end their chase for the England international. Fenerbahce defender Jayden Oosterwolde has been linked with a move to St James’ Park, for example, with an offer of £21.3m potentially enough to acquire the 23-year-old’s signature this summer.
According to reports in Spain, Newcastle are monitoring Barcelona centre-back Andreas Christensen ahead of a potential move to the club this summer, as they eye up Guehi alternatives. In fact, the Magpies are believed to be showing “strong interest” in the Denmark international, and he has been “on their radar since last season”.
Christensen represents a brilliant option for Newcastle in the coming weeks, considering he is a player with so much Premier League experience already, making 93 appearances in the competition during his time at Chelsea.
The 28-year-old also won the Champions League with the Blues, beating Manchester City in the final back in 2021, while former Barcelona manager Xavi has said of him: “Surely the signing of Christensen has been the less highlighted, but he has been extraordinary. I remember when people said that Real Madrid signed Chelsea’s starting centre back and we signed the substitute.”
At 28, Christensen is at such a sweet spot in his career, with so many years behind him allowing him to mature as a footballer, but his peak is still not likely to drift by for another four or five years.
The £147,000-a-week centre-back is now a 74-cap international for Denmark, proving to be an influential performer at the heart of their defence, and the fact that he is now into the final two years of his contract at Barca means that the La Liga side could be keen to offload him while they have a chance to get a decent fee.
Related
Newcastle chasing Guehi alternative who’s a bit like Van Dijk
The club could turn to other targets after no breakthrough on a deal for the Palace star.
Guehi still arguably feels like the best option for Newcastle this summer, considering he is younger and could be at St James’ for a decade, but Christensen stands out as a fantastic backup choice for Eddie Howe.
