Why Newcastle United should go all out to win transfer race for Man City and Spurs target

Newcastle United’s reported interest in Austrian international defender Samson Baidoo should be of little surprise.

Although of Ghanian descent, Graz-born Baidoo has represented Austrian at every youth level from Under-15s to Under-21s and his form for the reigning Bundesliga champions saw his awarded his first and as yet only senior cap when he appeared as a substitute in a 3-2 Euro 2024 qualifier defeat against Belgium in October last year. His progression at international may have been limited to that one solitary appearance - but his form at club level has seen Baidoo attract a wave of high-profile attention from some of European football’s biggest clubs.

Along with the likes of Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona and Inter Milan, HITC have named Newcastle are one on several clubs that have taken personal checks on the youngster’s progress as the Magpies look to find a long-term successor to Fabian Schar, who remains an integral part of Eddie Howe’s plans at St. James’ Park and is likely to be handed another new deal before his current contract comes to an end next summer.

At the age of 32, the Switzerland international is heading towards the closing years of his career and, despite his importance at Newcastle, will need to be replaced in the not-too-distance future. The Magpies’ interest in Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi was widely reported throughout the summer as a prolonged and frustrating attempt to land the England defender came to a disappointing end after four unsuccessful bids. Whether than interest is ramped up again in January remains to be seen - but it appears to shown an acceptance the Magpies do need to boost their options at the back and the need to do so heightens further in January.

A quick glance at Newcastle’s current crop of defenders shows Schar is not the only centre-back that will be out of contract next summer. Club captain Jamaal Lascelles, who is currently working his way back from a serious knee injury, also sees his deal come to a close in June and Dan Burn and Emil Krafth, two players that have performed manfully at the heart of Eddie Howe’s back four in the opening month of the season, are also set to leave as it stands. Whether next summer brings a refresh or rebuild of Howe’s defensive options remains to be seen - but what is clear is that either way, there is a lot of work to be done and some uncomfortable decisions to be taken.

The reported interest in Baidoo is now surprise after the 20-year-old has impressed in recent months for Salzburg and gained experience in the Champions League with appearances against the likes of Benfica, Inter Milan and Real Sociedad. Described by HITC as ‘a ball-playing centre-half who loves to carry the ball into midfield’, Baidoo sounds like a perfect like-for-like successor to Schar and a long-term partner for Botman, who will surely reclaim his place in Howe’s starting eleven when he finally makes his recovery from the ACL injury that hampered his involvement last season.

At just 20, Baidoo would be given time to settle into life on Tyneside if Newcastle were to win the race for his services, and he would be allowed to adapt to the demands placed upon any new signings under the current Magpies boss. Howe has already shown the way when it comes to helping players development during the early stages of their time on Tyneside and has displayed a patient approach with the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak, who were not thrust into Premier League action following their arrivals - but were given a soft introduction before flourishing into the indispensable stars they are now. Perhaps more importantly, any suggested interest in Baidoo shows the Magpies are more than aware they have some big decisions to make in the defensive ranks over the coming months.