Newcastle are tracking 25-year-old midfielder who could be the answer to all of their problems this summer

Add as preferred source on Google

Newcastle United have suffered a bit of a dip in form this season and a lot of the criticism has been focused on the lack of a defensive midfielder.

Bruno Guimaraes typically sits in that position, in which he’s been very successful individually, but he isn’t your ideal defensive midfielder who can cover the defence, he’d rather be a more creative type further up the pitch.

A new report from HITC suggests that Newcastle are now tracking Fenerbahce midfielder Ismail Yuksek who has been impressing a number of teams this season.

Tottenham rivalling Newcastle for top midfielder

Having been sent out on loan multiple times in the last few years, Yuksek has been something of a late bloomer after emerging as a first-team player at the age of 25 and is now a key member of the squad.

His great form has been recognised by several Premier League teams with Tottenham now eyeing up a move for the Turkish international, providing some strong competition for Newcastle.

Yuksek is a great ball winner for the Turkish giants, averaging 2.5 successful tackles a game, and could be exactly what Newcastle are looking for in the heart of their midfield for next season.

It’s not yet clear how much he would cost, but it’s understood that Lyon saw a bid of around £9.5m rejected in January, so it will surely have to be higher with his contract lasting until 2027.

Newcastle lack defensive stability this season

The Magpies brought in Sandro Tonali at the beginning of the season, one of their biggest signings ever, with the idea that he would be playing in a deeper role, pushing Bruno forwards, but in the few games he did play he also didn’t look suited to that position.

Of course, it was still early days in his Newcastle career and his 10-month ban makes it difficult for him to adapt, but it may be that the club will have to find a different option in the summer to fill the gap.

All season there have been gaps between Newcastle’s defence and midfield and while injuries have massively affected this, the likes of Sean Longstaff and Lewis Miley just aren’t good enough in that defensive role.

Yuksek is certainly one of the candidates Newcastle will be keeping an eye on as they continue their search for a new midfielder, but only time will tell how serious their interest is.