Newcastle United step up transfer interest as Juventus now consider £20m sale

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Newcastle United will soon need to ramp up their transfer plans.

Clearly, much will depend on exactly what European competition Newcastle United will be playing in next season.

Eddie Howe’s side have already qualified for the Conference League after winning the Carabao Cup, but all eyes will be on qualifying for the Champions League.

Either way, however, the Newcastle United manager needs his squad strengthened.

The extra games bring an added strain on the squad, as Howe knows all too well after the 2023-24 Champions League campaign that played a part in an unprecedented injury crisis at St James’ Park.

Luckily, Newcastle insiders think they are in a position to spend this summer, having sold players over the last few months to raise extra cash and thereby further comply with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.

With that in mind, a new defender could be sought. Fabian Schar recently signed a new contract but, at 33, hardly represents a long-term option for Howe. Dan Burn has enjoyed a remarkable season but is only a year younger, while Sven Botman’s injury problems have continued.

Jamaal Lascelles, meanwhile, hasn’t played in a year.

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

Newcastle United ramp up transfer plans amid links with Marc Guehi and Federico Gatti

According to The Chronicle, Newcastle have started to ramp up their plans to sign a new centre-back this summer.

The scouting department are said to be fully focused on trying to land a new right-sided option.

Marc Guehi is said to remain of interest after Newcastle’s failed pursuit last summer, while another name has emerged on the radar.

Juventus are reportedly willing to sell Federico Gatti this summer and have offered the Italian centre-back to various Premier League clubs for a fee of around £20million.

Interestingly, Juve will owe Newcastle £20million for Lloyd Kelly should they qualify for any kind of European football, due to the terms of his loan move to the Turin giants.

Federico Gatti stats compared to Marc Guehi amid Newcastle United interest

For a reported £20million, Gatti would perhaps represent a cheaper option than Guehi.

Palace rejected £70million from Tottenham for Guehi in January, albeit his value is likely to drop over the coming months unless he signs a new contract – with his current deal due to expire in the summer of 2026.

Defensively this season, there doesn’t appear to be a huge amount of difference between the two. Obviously, Palace are likely to have to defend more often than Juve given their standing in Serie A, but the numbers listed above are fairly similar between the two players.