Report: Newcastle join Tottenham in race for £18m South American defender

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Chilean outlet CDF claim that Newcastle United have joined Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign Monaco’s Guillermo Maripan this summer.

The Chilean international only joined the principality side last year from La Liga outfit Deportivo Alaves for £16 million (Goal).

Monaco are struggling financially and Maripan is one of the players who is likely to be sacrificed in order to balance their books, according to the report.

Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham have reportedly been interested in the 26-year-old defender for a while. Newcastle are now prepared to go toe-to-toe with Spurs to sign him, which is strange considering their options at the back.

Skipper Jamaal Lascelles, Fabian Schar, Ciaran Clark, Federico Fernandez, and Florian Lejuene make five senior first-team centre-halves; more than enough to last a whole season.

However, if Bruce opts to go with three at the back, Maripan could prove to be a very smart addition. The Chilean, standing at 6ft 4in tall, is brilliant in the air and calm in possession.

He is comfortable with the ball at his feet and can initiate attacks from the back, which would add a new dimension to Newcastle’s system.

However, the report claims that Monaco will not let him leave for anything less than £18 million. That is affordable but, with Tottenham also in the race, Newcastle might struggle to get a deal over the line.