Newcastle United are reportedly looking to make a move for Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen during the upcoming summer transfer window.
Christensen decided to move to Camp Nou as a free agent last year, ending his lengthy relationship with Chelsea.
While the 26-year-old is yet to establish himself as a first-team regular, he has played a key role in Xavi’s squad.
In total, he has made 21 starts and four substitute appearances across all competitions, with 16 of them coming in La Liga, which Barcelona leads by 12 points.
However, due to Barcelona’s financial difficulties, all but a few players will be made available for transfer later in 2023.
The Catalan giants must generate £177m through sales and layoffs before they can add to their team for 2023-24, and they will likely have to be innovative in the market.
According to Sport, Newcastle are reportedly mulling a surprise swoop for Christensen in order to improve their defense.
Eddie Howe considers Fabian Schar and Sven Botman to be the clear first-choice pairing, but the Magpies need options, especially if they are to qualify for Europe.
As things are, the North-East club have the best defensive record in the Premier League, raising the question of whether any central-defensive signing would immediately break into the first XI.
See Also: Real Madrid Interested In Chelsea Defender Reece James
According to the report, Barcelona are currently unwilling to let Christensen to transfer to the North-East of England, while Christensen would want to stay with the Spanish giants.
Nevertheless, it is claimed that the situation could change in the coming months, particularly if a major Newcastle bid is made.
Christensen has a contract with Barcelona that runs until the end of the 2025-26 season.
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