Newcastle United are reportedly tussling with Premier League rivals Aston Villa and Manchester United over the signing of a European Championship winner.
Promising international break for Newcastle's attackers
The Magpies’ season hasn’t quite got going yet, with only two points picked up from their opening three matches, but a home clash with Wolves on Saturday afternoon gives them a good chance of getting their first win of the campaign.
Eddie Howe will be keeping his fingers crossed that his key Newcastle players remain fit during the current international break, and on the plus side, some new attacking stars have enjoyed a positive time with their respective countries.
The Magpies’ new big-money striker, Nick Woltemade, provided an assist for Germany in their 3-1 win at home to Northern Ireland on Sunday evening, teeing up Serge Gnabry for the opening goal of the night.
Meanwhile, Anthony Elanga found the back of the net for Sweden in their 2-2 draw away to Slovenia last Friday, suggesting that he is also in good form ahead of Newcastle’s return to league action this weekend.
While attacking signings have been a big area of focus for the Magpies, following the departures of Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson, a defender is now being mentioned as a transfer target for them.
Newcastle battling Man Utd for £34.6m ace
According to a report from Spain, Newcastle are interested in signing Athletic Bilbao centre-back Dani Vivian in 2026 and want to trigger his £34.6m release clause in his current deal, but they aren’t alone in that respect.
Fellow Premier League sides Manchester United and Aston Villa are also in the conversation, with all three clubs seeing the 26-year-old as ‘a bargain for a player of his characteristics and experience’.
Newcastle and PIF could arguably still feel slightly light at centre-back, especially with Fabian Schar and Dan Burn both well into their 30s now, despite the summer arrival of Malick Thiaw.
For that reason, Vivian could be a great option to bring in, whether that be in January or next summer, with the Bilbao ace winning Euro 2024 with Spain, as well as the Spanish Cup with his club side last year.
At 6ft tall, he isn’t the most aerially dominant central defender, but he can excel in various facets of his game, averaging 4.6 clearances per game and enjoying an 87.4% pass completion rate in La Liga last season.
Still only 26, Vivian is right at his peak, so he could enjoy five or six good years at St James’ Park, and nine caps for an outstanding Spain team highlights his pedigree as a top-level defender.