Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing a move for Olympique Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car in the January transfer window.
According to the Telegraph, the Toon have the Croatian international on their radar as Eddie Howe aims to sign new defenders in the New Year.
Newcastle have one of the worst defensive records in the Premier League this season, and the club are reportedly monitoring Caleta-Car with the January market opening next week.
The 25-year-old defender joined Marseille in 2019 for a reported fee of €19m (£16.5m) according to L’Equipe. However, problems with manager Jorge Sampaoli have seen Caleta-Car hardly feature for the French giants this season.
Indeed, the defender is still highly rated across Europe, though. RMC Sport reported earlier in the year that Jurgen Klopp was eager on signing Caleta-Car in the summer transfer window, with West Ham and Wolves also linked with the Croat.
Moreover, with the defender hardly featuring for Marseille this season, a transfer seems likely in January, and Newcastle must do all they can to sign Caleta-Car ahead of Premier League rivals.
Caleta-Car could be a starting point to saving Newcastle’s defence
It would be an understatement to say that Newcastle’s defence is one heaping mess, and Caleta-Car could be an ideal player to help solve the problems plaguing the Magpies’ backline.
If Newcastle are to avoid the drop, Howe will need more than just Caleta-Car. However, the 25-year-old will be a solid addition for the central defence and a huge improvement on what the Toon currently have.
A full international for Croatia and a previous target for Liverpool, Caleta-Car could bring the needed quality that will stabilise the defence and give Howe a starting point to build from in January.
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