Newcastle closing in on signing $83 million defender
Newcastle United are ready to make a sizable impact on the summer transfer market, and are currently discussing a potential move with Crystal Palace for defender Marc Guehi.
The star center back recently featured heavily for the England national team at Euro 2024. If the two sides can complete the deal, it would likely break Newcastle‘s record for an incoming transfer.
The northeast team’s record signing at the moment is center forward Alexander Isak. The Swedish star cost the club about $80 million back in the summer of 2022.
Palace, however, is thought to want a fee closer to $83 million for Guehi. The Eagles previously paid Chelsea around $25 million for the English center back in 2021. Guehi is Palace’s third-most expensive incoming transfer in their history.
The central defender’s current contract at Palace is set to expire in 2026 though. Furthermore, there have not been any indiction that Guehi will sign an extension with the club anytime soon. This means that Palace could opt to capitalize on a sale, rather than put themselves in a precarious situation of losing him for nothing in the future.
Magpies could give defender significant pay raise
Not only are Newcastle attempting to complete the big transfer, but Guehi is supposedly open to the move.
The Evening Chronicle claims that the star is excited to potentially play for the Magpies. In fact, the news outlet reports that both the defender and his agent are “keen to see how things develop” in the situation this weekend.
Palace completed the most recent campaign sitting 10th in the Premier League standings.
Despite the mid-table finish, the Eagles equaled their highest place and most points in the modern Premier League era. Newcastle, on the other hand, finished seventh in the table, but dealt with a string of significant injuries throughout the campaign.
The Magpies previously featured in the Champions League during the 2023/24 season.
Money, of course, is also a fairly major difference between the two English sides. Guehi currently makes about $3.3 million annually with Palace. This makes him the 10th-highest played player on the roster. The Eagles also have just five players in the team that make more than $5 million per year.
Newcastle, however, could afford to give the defender a significant pay raise. The Magpies now have 10 players at the moment that rake in more than $5 million annually. Guehi would almost certainly be the team’s 11th player to reach this salary if they can actually sign him.
Newcastle’s defense is a concern heading into the new season
Newcastle currently have a solid starting duo in central defense with Fabian Schar and Sven Botman. The two defenders were key in the club’s run to the Champions League in the 2022/23 season, in which they had one of the best defensive records in the Premier League.
Nevertheless, Schar will turn 33 in December and will become a free agent next summer.
Botman also missed significant time during the most recent season due to knee injuries. His most significant setback occurred back in March and he is not expected back on the pitch until the fall.
Signing Guehi would certainly be a big statement for the Magpies. The club has spent serious money on new players since they were taken over by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The English defender could become one of the group’s marquee signings during their relatively short time at the helm.
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