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Newcastle United have been forced to balance European football and Premier League action this season after qualifying for the Champions League during the last campaign. And, whilst the Magpies have enjoyed impressive victories over Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, they have also suffered defeats against the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion and Borussia Dortmund as the fixtures and injuries mount.
Newcastle’s up and down run will have given Eddie Howe plenty to think about ahead of the next two transfer windows, as those at St James’ Park reportedly set their sights on some defensive depth for the former Bournemouth boss.
Newcastle United transfer news
At the time, it looked as though Newcastle spent well in the summer, welcoming Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes and some young defensive talent to reinforce Howe’s side. Months later, and that’s anything but the case. Tonali is at the start of a 10-month ban for breaching betting rules, Barnes is injured and the Magpies have just three recognised centre-backs after failing to add depth to their backline. And that’s a problem that they could look to solve next summer in a deal that could eventually look like a stroke of genius.
According to 90min, Newcastle are keeping tabs on Tiago Djalo and are ready to battle for the Lille defender’s signature against Serie A giants Inter Milan. Djalo’s current Lille contract expires at the end of the season, making him a free agent, and he is open to a move. The Premier League side have reportedly been tracking the defender for a year now and will continue to monitor him upon his return from injury.
Djalo’s versatility would certainly provide Howe with a major boost. The 23-year-old can play in every position across the backline, which would solve Newcastle’s growing concern over their depth.
“Strong” Djalo can solve Newcastle’s depth problem
We’ve already seen Sven Botman shoehorned in at centre-back this season and Howe will be well aware of the need to avoid a similar situation next season. And that’s where the arrival of Djalo could help. The Lille man has earned the interest of both the Magpies and Inter Milan through excellent performances in Ligue 1. When compared to Newcastle’s current options too, Djalo’s stats last season show that he is more than capable of keeping up.
Player |
Progressive Carres Per 90 |
Progressive Passes Per 90 |
Tackles Won Per 90 |
Interceptions Per 90 |
Tiago Djalo |
0.40 |
3.13 |
1.38 |
1.03 |
Sven Botman |
0.23 |
2.51 |
1.10 |
0.98 |
Fabian Schar |
0.76 |
3.90 |
1.32 |
1.46 |
It’s no surprise then that Djalo has been at the centre of praise during his career, including from Zach Lowy, who posted on X: “Tiago Djaló. After moving from Sporting to Milan in January due to a contract dispute, he’ll need to impress for the Primavera and then get a loan before he can contest the likes of Caldara and Romagnoli. Agile, strong, quick but needs to improve his decisions and IQ.”
Having matured with age but kept the same athletic traits that made him such a highly rated prospect back then, it will certainly be interesting to see whether Newcastle make their move.
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