Newcastle United 'contact' Barcelona over £22m defender deal as La Liga winner offered as Guehi alternative

Newcastle United have reportedly made contact with La Liga giants Barcelona over a possible deal for Denmark international Andreas Christensen.

CaughtOffside have claimed the Magpies are considering other options as they await a response from Crystal Palace after submitted a fourth offer for England centre-back Marc Guehi on Friday. The former Chelsea academy product is said to be Newcastle’s priority as they look to boost Eddie Howe’s options at the heart of their defence before the summer transfer window closes for business later this month.

Speaking about the efforts to sign Guehi in his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s Premier League opener against Southampton, Howe said: “We’re hopeful. We’re working hard and there’s no lack of effort from our side. We’ve got a good squad when everyone is fit. So to sign players and to make the squad better is difficult, but it is achievable, we can do it. But what you don’t want to do is make a signing and then three or four months on you realise it hasn’t really kicked us on anywhere and you’re just adding numbers which is something we’ve got to avoid at all costs in my opinion. We’re looking to sign players who can take the team on.”

Guehi is not the first centre-back to be linked with a move to Tyneside in recent weeks after the likes of Torino star Alessandro Buongiorno and AC Milan duo Malick Thiaw and Fikayo Tomori have all been suggested as Magpies targets since the end of last season. Former Chelsea star Christensen has also been routinely named as a possible addition for Newcastle over the last year as Barcelona continue to consider the sale of several players as they battle with something of a financial crisis.

The Catalan giants are reportedly unable to register a number of members of their squad and have considered allowing players to depart over the final two weeks of the summer transfer window. The CaughtOffside report suggests Newcastle have made contact with Barca to ‘understand the margins of negotiation’ over a deal for Christensen and states the La Liga club are willing to begin talks over a fee at around £22m. The Denmark star was linked with Newcastle prior to his free transfer move to Barcelona during the summer of 2022 - and his decision to move to the Camp Nou looked to have paid off when he became a La Liga winner during his first season with his new club. However, the defender has struggled for regular game-time during the second season in Spain and could now be handed a chance to depart before the summer transfer window close.

The report also reveals former Atletico Madrid defender Mario Hermoso has been proposed to Newcastle via intermediaries - although the Magpies interest is described as ‘timid’. The 29-year-old is currently without a club after his five-year stay with Atleti came to an end earlier this summer. Despite reported interest from the likes of Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and several Serie A clubs, the La Liga winner remains a free agent as the new season gets underway.