Newcastle United were said to be one of a few Premier League clubs chasing Danish international Victor Nelsson in the summer but Galatasaray were able to keep hold of their key centre-back.
It was believed that Newcastle sent representatives to cast their eye over Nelsson in March last year as Turkish site Fanatik reported that scouts from Newcastle joined those of several top European clubs as they looked at several Galatasaray players. Eventually interest from England prompted Nelsson to hand in a transfer request that ulimately led to nothing.
Now reports from Sabah (via TurkishFootball.com) in Turkey suggest that Newcastle are now the frontrunners in the race to sign the 24-year-old having bid £17.5million which is they claim is the highest bid as things stand.
Newcastle’s interest in Nelsson is not new
Nelsson has become key player for the Turkish league leaders after his £6million move from FC Copenhagen in 2021. Therefore, Galatasaray chiefs will not in a hurry to sell. His contract runs until 2026 giving the Lions plenty of power at the negotiation table. That being said, there’s a feeling that they will be willing to sell for the right price.
It hasn’t been said how far talks have progressed and whether the bid Newcastle have reportedly placed has been deemed acceptable, but given that Newcastle’s interest in Nelsson isn’t new, it’s highly likely that there’s some truth in this one.
He could be seen as a replacement for Schar
Nelsson has made 25 appearances for Galatasaray this season and has even chipped in with a goal and an assist from defence. The six-foot-tall centre-back has been capped eight times by Denmark and appeared during their World Cup campaign in their group game against France.
As a right-footed player he’s likely to be seen as cover, or even a replacement for Fabian Schar alongside Sven Botman.