It’s no secret that Newcastle United are looking to sign a new full-back this winter, but they’ll have to battle some of Europe’s top teams if they want to get the perfect man for the job.
Obviously, Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall have got the right and left side of the Newcastle United defence sorted. But, what happens when they’re not fit?
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Eddie Howe has stated he wants a new full-back as a priority. Newcastle could go for the simpler option of signing someone who will be happy to play second fiddle to Livramento and Hall, but that’s not how teams get better.
The age-old dilemma of finding a player who can truly compete for a first-team spot despite top players being in front of them is something Howe must now solve. And if he’s really serious about taking Newcastle to the next level, Daniel Munoz is the answer.
Daniel Munoz is a wanted man
The only problem with that is Munoz is attracting a lot of attention in the transfer market already. The latest report from Caught Offside suggests Man City are keen on the Crystal Palace man, with Pep Guardiola a big fan.
It’s said the 29-year-old is also wanted by clubs like Chelsea and Man United here in the Premier League, while Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have expressed an interest in bringing him to Spain.
With impressive attacking returns of three goals and two assists already this season, plus tough tackling, defensive awareness, and high levels of athleticism, it’s not surprising some of the best clubs in the world are looking at Munoz.
Whether Crystal Palace would sell in January is another matter. As we learned from the Marc Guehi situation, the Eagles are pretty stubborn when they want to hold onto a player. Munoz is under contract until 2028, so they’ll be in no rush to let him go.
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The Man City rumours refuse to go away.
Newcastle United should sign Munoz to compete with Tino Livramento
It would be very easy to look at that roster of clubs tracking Munoz and think there’s no point Newcastle even getting involved. Indeed, there’s every chance they wouldn’t be able to win that transfer battle, but they have to at least try.
Newcastle want to be one of football’s great superpowers by 2030, so they must get themselves in these kinds of conversations for the very best, most sought after players.
Obviously, Newcastle want to keep Tino Livramento. Having him and Munoz would be an incredible rotation for Eddie Howe to have at his disposal for that right-back area.
But, if Newcastle were to cash in on Livramento, there could be £100m to spend right there. That would pay for Munoz, and then some.
Either way, having a player like him join the club can only be a good thing; whether it be for competition or to replace Livramento is all that needs to be decided.
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