Newcastle told ‘exceptional’ player they want to sign is ahead of Man City wonderkid

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Stewart Robson says Newcastle United transfer target Alejandro Balde is ahead of Manchester City wonderkid Rico Lewis, at this moment in time, as he told ESPN.

The former Arsenal player labelled Barcelona’s 19-year-old star as an ‘exceptional’ player as the left-back becomes a prominent figure in Xavi’s side that is currently sitting at the top of the La Liga table.

Whilst one teenage fullback is showcasing his talents in Spain, another is emerging over in England in the colours of the Premier League champions, Manchester City.

Rico Lewis has featured a fair few times under Pep Guardiola in recent times, as the 18-year-old right-back is hoping to become the long-term successor to Kyle Walker.

England might be jam-packed in the right-back department, but at the rate Lewis is going, he will earn those senior caps down the line, something Balde has already tasted with Spain on four occasions, including featuring at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

When Robson was asked to name who is currently ahead – Balde or Rico Lewis – he put forward the Barcelona star’s talents.

“I would say Balde, he’s an exceptional player,” said Robson. “I think he has done really well. He’s a top-class player and he will be for some while, so I am going to go with him, at the moment.”

NEWCASTLE’S INTEREST IN BALDE

Eddie Howe’s side are flying high in the Premier League and they will be looking to continue that success when they take on Brendan Rodgers Leicester City in the quarter-finals of the League Cup on Tuesday night.

Despite the Magpies being ahead in their current project to bring silverware and compete with the elite, they aren’t getting ahead of themselves in the transfer market.

They aren’t pushing hard for those ready-made players, instead, for those rising stars, such as Barcelona’s Balde are being targeted.

Balde’s current deal at the Nou Camp expires in 2024, and ahead of a stumbling block in contract negotiations, it seems as though Newcastle are trying to take advantage.