December 29, (THEWILL) – Newcastle have been linked with a January move for Barcelona’s out-of-favour centre-back Samuel Umtiti as part of a squad bolstering effort to keep them in the EPL.
In one of the toughest seasons in their stay in the top flight, Newcastle’s final game of the year has been postponed, meaning they are due to start 2022 in the relegation zone, two points from safety.
Under new Saudi Arabian ownership, the Magpies’ short-term goal is to strengthen enough in January to stay in the Premier League. Towards this objective, two transfer shortlists have been set up for now and the summer.
Newcastle wants to bring in as many as the maximum allowed number of six players next month, with two of those being loaned from other Premier League clubs.
They have approached Manchester United about Jesse Lingard, Anthony Martial, Nemanja Matic, Donny van de Beek, and Phil Jones. They have also made enquires about Ross Barkley, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Manuel Lanzini, Dele Alli, Divock Origi, and Nathan Ake.
Bournemouth, the former club of manager Eddie Howe, has also been contacted for transfer business in the January window.
Newcastle have also been monitoring Lille centre-back Sven Botman, even if the Dutchman is hesitant to leave in January due to his club’s recent advancement into the Champions League’s last 16. He is also aiming for a spot in the Netherlands’ World Cup squad in 2022, therefore he needs his next move to be the perfect one for him.
A move to Newcastle is currently viewed as a short-term danger by many players due to the uncertainty around their Premier League status at the moment.
Yet, Umtiti’s name has featured in reports about a move to St James’ Park, with claims that Newcastle may pay £17 million for the 2018 World Cup winner.
Umtiti has been a marginal player at Camp Nou since recovering from his most recent knee injury last December. He has spent the majority of the last year as an unused substitute and has only appeared once this season, a recent draw against Osasuna.
While he is out of favour, the Frenchman’s salaries are an unneeded financial drain on Barcelona, and the club will be more than willing to offload him and Philippe Coutinho before the January transfer window ends.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
