Report: Newcastle trying to sell long-serving player with £15m replacement lined up

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Newcastle United are looking to offload DeAndre Yedlin and have identified Bologna’s £15 million-rated Japan international Takehiro Tomiyasu as a replacement, according to The Chronicle.

A key player under Rafa Benitez, the arrival of Steve Bruce hasn’t done Yedlin’s Magpies career much good.

The former Tottenham and Sunderland flyer only started ten Premier League games in 2019/20, at times falling behind Emil Krafth and Javi Manquillo in the pecking order.

And, with just one year left on his contract, all signs suggest Newcastle are making an effort to sell one of the fastest players in the division before he walks away for nothing in nine months’ time.

The Chronicle claims the north east giants are actively offering Seattle-born Yedlin to potential suitors while making their move for Tomiyasu.

Aged 21, the Serie A starlet already has 18 caps for his country and is valued at a hefty £15 million after just a single season of Italian football.

Tomiyasu is not only a forward-thinking and athletic right-back but also a more than competent central defender too – suggesting he would give Bruce plenty of options and adaptability at the back.

The Chronicle claims Tomiyasu, a typical Mike Ashley signing with a high resale value, was scouted by Newcastle before lockdown.

Convincing Bologna to cash in, however, may be easier said than done.

“We won’t be selling him because the figure paid would not be sufficient to reflect what a great player he is,” director Walter Sabatini told Goal in July.

“Right now, nobody is capable of fully evaluating what Tomiyasu is and can become.”