Newcastle should move for £17m PL flop ahead of their other targets

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Newcastle United should enter the race to sign former Arsenal flop Konstantinos Mavropanos this summer.

Eddie Howe is targeting a centre-back to help provide competition for Fabian Schar and Sven Botman, and there have been links with Edmond Tapsoba, Jean-Clair Todibo and Oumar Solet.

However, all three players could arrive as pricey additions with little guarantee of success. Alternative options may need to be explored, and one of these could be the best option of them all.

Mavropanos, 25, made just eight appearances for Arsenal between 2018 and 2022, having failed to impress after arriving as a youngster, and embarked on a number of loan spells before joining VFB Stuttgart for less than £3m.

He has since shone at Stuttgart, making 89 appearances and attracting the interest of a number of clubs, and now reportedly wants to leave this summer.

Florian Plettenberg has claimed that the Greece international could be available for as little as £17m, with Napoli among the clubs chasing his signature.

What makes Mavropanos so good?

At 1.94m tall, Mavropanos provides a huge physical presence both at the back and in attacking set-piece situations, racking up eight goals in his time at Stuttgart.

Beyond his physical strength, which has helped him rank in the top 8% of European centre-backs for aerial duels, his ability on the ball is remarkable, as one of the best dribblers in his position.

His reading of the game is phenomenal, ranking in the top 1% for interceptions, and beyond being extremely solid in defence, he is also one of the best goalscoring and creative centre-halves in Europe.

He would arrive as someone perhaps less experienced, but more suited to Newcastle’s style than an option like Tapsoba, given his dominance in the air, and he could perfectly slot in next to Botman.

At £17m, he could potentially be a bargain buy, and at 25, he is yet to hit his peak. With the potential to become both an instant starter and a long-term option, he could be the perfect successor to Schar, whom he resembles in style given his attacking prowess and ability in the air, and with Newcastle in the Champions League, they stand a good chance of landing him if they are to register their interest in him.