Newcastle United are pushing to signal a “full” centre-back, with the Magpies believed to be forward of Liverpool within the race to snap him up.
Newcastle making ready for Benfica conflict
Eddie Howe’s facet’s hit-and-miss begin to the 2025/26 season continued on Saturday, with Brighton profitable 2-1 on the Amex Stadium within the Premier League.
Consideration now turns to Tuesday’s Champions League conflict with Benfica at St James’ Park, with the Magpies arising in opposition to Jose Mourinho, who has not too long ago taken cost of the Primeira Liga facet.
Talking forward of the sport, Mourinho made it clear that the house crowd may have a huge impact on the consequence, warning his facet that will probably be a troublesome night time.
“Powerful. They’re a troublesome workforce, very bodily, with nice depth in midfield, and we’re not. They’ve a really robust workforce, giants who’re very robust at set items. At St James’ Park, the followers play.”
For Newcastle, it is a crucial night time, as they appear to bolster their possibilities of reaching the Champions League knockout stage, which partly will assist entice top-quality gamers to the membership sooner or later.
Newcastle eyeing transfer for “full” £43m ace
In line with Caught Offside, Newcastle have a greater likelihood of signing Membership Brugge centre-back Joel Ordonez than Liverpool, with Aston Villa additionally within the combine to amass his signature.
The Ecuadorian is considered valued at £43m by his present membership, with the Reds taking a look at Magpies ace Sven Botman in its place, creating an identical situtation to the one with Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike this summer time.
Ordonez is a extremely spectacular younger defender who’s already a key man for membership and nation on the age of simply 21, so it’s comprehensible why Newcastle need to signal him.
In actual fact, the Brugge star has been a part of an unbelievable Ecuador defence that has conceded simply 5 targets in 18 matches in 2026 World Cup qualifying, serving to them sit second within the desk behind Argentina.
Ordonez might really feel that he has already outgrown Brugge, even at his tender age, and he needs to be considered as a incredible choice, with scout Jacek Kulig describing him as a “full” defender within the current previous.
With Fabian Schar and Dan Burn now nicely into their 30s, long-term replacements must be discovered, and in Ordonez, Newcastle have a participant with such a excessive ceiling, and somebody who needs to be considered as one among their finest choices obtainable.
