Newcastle United are reportedly monitoring West Bromwich Albion defender Kyle Bartley.
According to The Telegraph, the Magpies are keen on the 29-year-old, who has shown some good form of late for the Baggies, helping Sam Allardyce’s side to keep three clean sheets in their last five games.
Bartley has been with Albion since the summer of 2018, joining from Swansea City after loan spells with Birmingham City and Leeds United.
To date he’s clocked up almost 100 appearances for the club.
The report in The Telegraph claims that Bartley has one year left on his current contract, while The Athletic reported in February that ‘an option has been triggered, meaning the defender is under contract at The Hawthorns until 2022’.
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There has been no official confirmation yet from the Baggies, and Transfermarkt.co.uk still states that Bartley is out of contract at the end of June 2021.
Also in the mix for Bartley according to The Telegraph are Burnley.
Newcastle are in the market for a new centre-half, with two players standing to leave the club at the end of the season in Federico Fernandez and Fabian Schar.
With the latter there is reportedly an option to extend, although Newcastle could still end up cashing in.
An underwhelming transfer link
With respect to Bartley, Newcastle making a move for him this summer would be very underwhelming – although dropping into the Championship would make higher profile names considerably harder to sign.
A club like Newcastle should be able to bring in someone of quality.
If there is any truth regarding the report about Newcastle wanting Bartley for next season and beyond, then it just stinks of a lack of ambition.