Newcastle United and Liverpool line up move for African star with £67m clause after January scouting mission

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Newcastle United’s defence will soon require a shake-up.

Eddie Howe’s back four has changed quite significantly since he was appointed manager in 2021. The Magpies have signed Dan Burn, Sven Botman, Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall in the previous years. The four of them now look like Newcastle’s favoured back line.

It puts Fabian Schar in an awkward position at Newcastle. Now 33, Schar is out of contract at the end of the summer. Discussions are going ahead to extend Schar’s Newcastle contract, but he may not have as much playing time as he was getting earlier in the season.

Botman has hit the ground running since returning from a lengthy injury. The Dutch defender had been out since March but has now played in the Magpies’ last four games in all competitions, keeping two clean sheets.

Dan Burn is also moving towards the twilight of his career, although performances this season would make fans believe he had plenty of time left. Botman’s left-footedness makes him the perfect long-term successor to Burn. The Magpies are still looking to find the perfect right-sided centre-back to fill Schar’s shoes.

In the summer, Newcastle approached Crystal Palace for Marc Guehi on several occasions but failed to make a deal. The 24-year-old is thought to be keen on a move away from the London-based club at the end of the season.

Now, Newcastle have been linked to another central defender with a hefty price tag. They’ve got to beat tough competition to sign him.

Bayern Munich racing Newcastle for Ousmane Diomande signature

Ousmane Diomande has been on Newcastle’s radar since the summer when it looked like he could leave the club. Newcastle looked set to sign Diomande from Sporting Lisbon in the summer, but his £67m release clause made it difficult for the Magpies to splash the cash due to ongoing PSR issues.

According to A Bola, Bayern Munich wants to sign Diomande. The report claims that the Bundesliga giants could even make a move for the defender this month.

Bayern are believed to have made contact with Sporting to try and find out what it would take to make a deal happen.

The report states that Howe recently sent a scout to Sporting to watch Diomande in January. Bayern wanted to wait until the summer to make their move, but the report also names Newcastle as well as Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool.

Although Diomande has a £67m release clause. The defender; who won the African Cup of Nations and Liga Portugal last season, could be available for as low as £42m.

Diomande had his asking price slashed in the summer. Newcastle will be hoping the same happens to make the 21-year-old more affordable.

• READ MORE: All of Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United signings, ranked

Diomande is a great replacement for Schar

With Schar’s future still up in the air, Newcastle must consider their options. Diomande would be a like-for-like replacement for Schar given his high passing volume and willingness to get stuck into tackles.

With Diomande not short of interest, Paul Mitchell needs to act fast to get a deal done. In the summer, Chelsea were willing to pay Diomande’s release clause and could do the same again.

Chelsea are in the market for a centre-back. Marc Guehi has been linked with a move back to his former club despite Newcastle’s summer interest.