Everything about reported links with Steven Caulker suggests it is not likely

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In a summer that has been bizarre to say the least, the latest reported link seems to take it to the weirdness to another level, with the Mirror claiming Steven Caulker is interesting Steve Bruce.

The former Tottenham and Cardiff centre-back is currently playing for Alanyaspor in Turkey, and is said to be admired by Bruce, who is considering a last minute £2 million offer for him.

There are a number of reasons why this link is dubious, at best, and everything about it screams “no deal”.

For a start, probably the only outfield position that Newcastle are well stocked and have competition for starting spots, is centre-back.

In skipper Jamaal Lascelles, Fabian Schar, Florian Lejeune, Federico Fernandez, Paul Dummett, and Ciaran Clark, we have six players vying for two or three places.

At Hibernian last week, Bruce admitted that he told Clark he would not be leaving this summer, so quite how the Caulker story gained any traction, is baffling.

Steven Caulker’s age is another obstacle to any deal

Then there is the fact that the player is 27, and therefore, outside the remit for a Newcastle United signing under Mike Ashley’s ownership.

Granted there have been exceptions to the under-26 rule before, but that was out of desperation and necessity, not in an area where we have more than enough cover.

The player has also previously admitted to battling mental health issues, and while that should never be anything to be ashamed of, or have an impact on whether a player is signed or not, the current state of animosity towards the club from fans could have a negative impact on him.

So whichever way you look at it, this deal looks like a non-starter.

There are always some left-field deals being done around deadline day, but this one would be right up with the strangest of them.