Newcastle United are keen on signing an "extraordinary" former Premier League player who has tasted victory over the Magpies five times in the past.
Newcastle transfer rumours
The Magpies could be busy during the January transfer window, with some new signings potentially easing the injury crisis that has affected them throughout this season.
Kalvin Phillips is one player who has been continually linked with a move to St James' Park, with the Manchester City and England man almost certain to leave his current club this month. Sandro Tonali's suspension has increased the need for a new face in the middle of the park, and the former Leeds United ace looks like the primary target there.
In defence, Sven Botman's injury problems this season have arguably heightened the need for a new central defender to arrive, and Sporting CP ace Goncalo Inacio has emerged as a candidate to come, as has Bayer Leverkusen youngster Piero Hincapie and Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi.
There is also a chance that a new attacker could come in, in order to ease the burden on Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson, and VfB Stuttgart's on-fire striker Serhou Guirassy has been linked with joining Newcastle a number of times of late as PIF plan for 2024.
Newcastle keen on signing Andreas Christensen
According to a new update from Spanish publication Sport, Newcastle are very interested in signing Barcelona centre-back Andreas Christensen, with the La Liga giants happy to sell him at this point due to the rise of Chadi Riad.
Manchester United are also seen as contenders to snap up the 27-year-old, with the Magpies' Premier League rivals also seeing their defence as an area to improve on.
Christensen could be an excellent option for Newcastle in 2024, considering he is someone with lots of Premier League experience to his name. He made 93 appearances in the competition during his Chelsea days, during which point he tasted victory over the Magpies on five occasions, and at 27 years of age, he could be about to come into his best years.
Admittedly, the Dane's spell at Barca hasn't necessarily worked out too well to date, but he has still started 14 matches in La Liga this season, completing a highly impressive 95.9% of his passes. Meanwhile, Barca manager Xavi has lauded him in the past, saying, "the signing of Christensen has been the less highlighted, but he has been extraordinary."
Appearances
15
Starts
14
Pass completion rate
95.9%
Aerial duel wins per game
1.9
Clearances per game
1.7
Tackles per game
0.6
Botman could be in need of having a new long-term partner, even though Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles continue to be solid performers for Newcastle, and the 69-time capped Denmark international is someone with lots of experience who could jump at the opportunity to the Premier League.
He is a Champions League winner, having gone all the way in the competition with Chelsea back in 2020/21, and he has also tasted Europa League and La Liga glory in the past. For that reason, his trophy-winning mentality could make a positive impact on the Magpies' squad moving forward.