Newcastle United’s desperate search for a new central defender has turned up the £20m option of Southampton’s Jan Bednarek.
According to Sky reporter Keith Downie as quoted by GIVEMESPORT, Bednarek is now seen as a attractive option by Magpies boss Eddie Howe.
Any transfer for the Poland International could be just shy of £20m due to his valuation on £19.8m transfermarkt, assuming they paid the market price for him.
Howe is said to be attracted to him due to his Premier League experience, a trait which makes sense for Newcastle to recruit to give them the best shot of staying ahead of their opponents in trying to avoid the drop at the end of the season.
It also sticks with the clubs short-term strategy.
With the exception of Bruno Guimaraes, who is a high calibre player, Newcastle have aimed for players who have proven Premier League track records, hence the transfers of Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood.
Such experience should prove vital in helping the rest of the squad and should give them an edge in knowing what to do in order to stay in the league. Wood in particular is a veteran when it comes to relegation dogfights.
Bednarek would represent a viable option at centre half for Newcastle. A 25-year-old regular starter for a mid-table Premier League team is exactly the type of defender they need in the short-term and like their acquisition of Wood did, it would weaken a direct rival for.