Newcastle United, having suffered severe ACL injuries to star defenders Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles, had entered the summer transfer window with an unavoidable desire to reinforce the center-back role. However, despite having tried till the penultimate day, the Magpies club failed to strike a deal with Crystal Palace for Marc Guehi, seen as the best option for the role.
Newcastle United target PL center-back duo as an alternative to £75M defensive ace
So far this season, the veteran duo of Fabian Schar and Dan Burn have responded well at the heart of the Magpies' defense, but recent reports don't sound favorable in the duo's future here. As per Caught Offside reports, the club owners haven't decided on the duo's fate, whose contract expires in the summer of 2025, and thus the Magpies would certainly need to look for future options.
Although the club failed to sign a center-back last summer, reports suggest that they can go stronger to reinforce the role in the January window. While they still have kept tabs open on £75 million defensive ace Marc Guehi, they have been reported to monitor two exciting PL options as an alternative to the English international.
As per Caught Offside, the Tyneside club has been targeting Wout Faes and Nikola Milenkovic, both PL defenders, as potential alternatives to Marc Guehi. Given that both these prodigies, be it 26-year-old Faes or 27-year-old Milenkovic, have had a brilliant start to the 2024/25 campaign, in addition to being trusted in the English League itself, the duo could be one of the best options for Eddie Howe's side.
Not only could the Premier League defense duo be a significant boost to Newcastle's thin defensive squad strength, but their deals won't be much more expensive than Marc Guehi. Given that the Magpies club had walked away from the star's deal upon Crystal Palace's £75M demand, agreeing to Wout Faes for the £34M asked price and Milenkovic for Nottingham's demand of £42M wouldn't be difficult.
As per the current scenario, Newcastle's rumors with Wout Faes and Nikola Milenkovic are in the initial stages, but their chances could arise as the January window approaches. Magpies club fans would hope that the club completes a major center-back signing in the upcoming windows, strengthening their chances for a top-4 PL finish.