Former Chelsea defender Newcastle United and Leeds United target should take ‘leap’ for Champions League football, Magpies scout Barcelona clash

Here is all the latest transfer gossip from St James’s Park and beyond:

Newcastle’s Europa League ‘scouting mission’

Newcastle United reportedly sent scouts to watch Barcelona’s 2-1 Europa League round of 16 triumph over Galatasaray last night.

The target of their mission was Galatasaray defender Victor Nelsson - according to reports from Turkey.

Nelsson played the full ninety and has generally impressed this season in Turkey after joining the club from Copenhagen in the summer.

The report also states that a ‘number’ of European teams sent representatives to watch the game and keep an eye on Nelsson’s progress.

Despite only joining the club in August, the 23-year-old could be allowed to leave in the summer if a club matches Galatasaray’s valuation of the player who Transfermark value at £7.65million.

Babayaro on Simon interest

Former Newcastle United defender Celestine Babayaro believes that Moses Simon, who has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League, should be aiming for a Champions League club.

Simon, who has been attracting interest from Leeds and Newcastle, has ten goal contributions in just 23 Ligue 1 appearances this season, leading Babayaro to tell Own Goal Nigeria that he should ‘make a giant leap’ to a Champions League side:

“I think he is at that stage where he should focus on playing in the UEFA Champions League,” Babayaro said.

“The plan for him should be to play for a team that is a regular in European competition. He has come full circle and this is the time to make a giant leap.”

Brazil on Burn

TalkSport presenter Alan Brazil believes that Tottenham Hotspur should have swooped to sign Dan Burn before he moved to Newcastle in January.

Burn has been a standout player since moving to Tyneside and Brazil believes that Spurs should have acted quicker to sign him:

“Do you know who Tottenham should have bought, I think? Burn, who went to Newcastle,” Brazil told TalkSport.

“Why didn’t they take a chance on him? He’s brilliant at set-pieces, for and against, he’s not slow.

“[He’s a Newcastle fan] but surely someone should’ve got to him first.”

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