Newcastle United have opened talks with Bayer Leverkusen over a deal to sign left back Mitchel Bakker in what would be a permanent deal.
That’s according to the Daily Mail, who claim that negotiations are now underway between the two clubs as Newcastle chase more defensive reinforcements.
Newcastle have already signed right back Kieran Trippier and Sevilla centre back Diego Carlos is nearing a move to Tyneside.
Now the attention turns to left back, with Bakker becoming the top target to bolster Eddie Howe’s back line.
Bakker only joined Bayer Leverkusen from Paris Saint-Germain for £8.5million last summer, but may already be on the move again.
The Dutchman left PSG to try and chase first-team football in Germany, but has only started 10 of Leverkusen’s 19 Bundesliga games.
Newcastle are in talks to give Leverkusen a quick profit for Bakker, who still has tons of untapped potential at just 21.
Bakker, 21, came up through the Ajax ranks having spent nine years with the Amsterdam club.
After joining PSG in 2019, Bakker played 45 times for the French giants but decided he wanted a bigger role elsewhere.
That hasn’t quite happened in Germany, and Newcastle are now willing to offer Bakker a quick escape route to Tyneside.
Standing at 6ft 1in tall, Bakker is quick and athletic, offering strength and aerial ability to go along with his attacking instincts.
There are some rough edges with Bakker that can be smoothed out, which Howe will be looking to do at Newcastle.
There are certainly parallels between Bakker and Diego Rico, the left back Howe brought to Bournemouth from Leganes in 2018.
Rico showed glimpses in the Premier League, and Howe will ultimately want much more from Bakker with talks now ongoing.
Deals have been hard to finalise for Newcastle this month, so let’s see if they can get Bakker sorted quickly.
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