Newcastle United were reportedly keen on Chelsea full-back Baba Rahman back in 2017.
If Rafa Benitez stays at Newcastle beyond this season, one of his main priorities for the summer may well be to find a new left-back to provide competition for Magpies stalwart Paul Dummett.
Antonio Barreca joined on loan from Monaco during the January transfer window, but he has spent just four minutes on the pitch since moving to St James’ Park, and it would currently be no surprise if little attempt was made to extend his stay.
The Daily Mirror reported back in 2017 that Christian Atsu had recommended Chelsea’s £14 million signing Baba Rahman to Benitez, prompting the Newcastle boss to target bringing the defender to Tyneside.
Given how Rahman’s career has played out since then however, he may be glad that he did not manage to get a deal across the line back then.
A cruciate ligament injury has meant that the Ghana international had made just three league appearances for Schalke in the 18 months since the Newcastle reports emerged.
However, the Daily Mail is now reporting that a host of Premier League sides are scouting Rahman as he looks to get back to his best out on loan with Reims.
And if Newcastle are not one of the teams already scouting the 24-year-old, then perhaps Benitez should seriously consider reigniting his interest as he could be a fantastic player to target this summer.
The Mail does not suggest how much Chelsea want for the former Augsburg man – who is out of contract in 2020 – but it is difficult to imagine that they will ask for anything like what they paid for him unless his better form continues up until the summer.
With Benitez’s ability to make his cheaper signings look like masterstroke additions, there is every chance that Rahman can get back to the level he was at when Chelsea were convinced to spend an eight-figure sum on his transfer.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
