Newcastle pursuing Leighton Baines is baffling given Joe Bryan reports

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Newcastle United are reportedly keen on strengthening their left-back options with Leighton Baines and Joe Bryan linked with the Magpies.

It certainly appears that Rafa Benitez will be disappointed if the transfer window ends with Newcastle having not managed to strengthen his options at left-back with recent reports linking them with a couple of defenders.

According to the Daily Mirror’s live transfer blog late last month (28/07; 12:23), the Magpies are interested in Bristol City star Joe Bryan, who is available for around £6 million this summer.

The Mirror’s report suggested that Newcastle were not willing to meet Bryan’s asking price. And yet, TEAMtalk has reported more recently that Newcastle are keen on signing Everton full-back Leighton Baines.

It is not clear how much the Toffees could want before they sell Baines, but it is surely fair to say that it is almost baffling that Newcastle are looking at the Everton stalwart seemingly ahead of Bryan.

Baines is one of the best left-backs the Premier League has had over the last decade. He has been a superb servant for the Toffees, but there is no question that his form suggests that he is edging towards the end of his time at the highest level.

Meanwhile, Bryan is rapidly heading for what should be the peak of his career. The 24-year-old was superb for the Robins last term and played a key role in helping Lee Johnson’s side flirt with the Championship play-off places and go on a remarkable run in the League Cup

Everton may not want as much as £6 million for Baines perhaps, but Bryan will undoubtedly make a much greater impact over a longer period of time for Newcastle.

Rafa Benitez probably cannot be blamed if he would prefer the more established player of the two given the club’s apparent reluctance to splash the cash. The restrictions on the business that he can get done is probably tempting him to target signings who represent much smaller gambles, but that is a short-term view that is eventually going to make it extremely difficult to keep the side in the top flight.

Bryan may not go on to reach the level that Baines was at his peak perhaps, but only one of the pair should seriously be on Newcastle’s shopping list this summer – and the Magpies have reportedly decided that £6 million is too much to pay for him.