Newcastle United have plenty of financial power after the Saudi Arabian takeover, and they have largely used that money wisely in the past two seasons, parlaying their smart spending into a Champions League appearance in 2023/24.
Although Newcastle missed out on the UCL with a disappointing finish last season, they had two silver linings, unearthing two of the best attacking players in the entire Premier League in Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak, who joined Sven Botman and Bruno Guimaraes as the latest impact signings by the Magpies.
Newcastle may not be able to sign a right wing upgrade over Miguel Almiron to pair with Isak and Gordon due to difficulties in finding a landing spot for Almiron, but they are closing in on a blockbuster signing at a different position.
According to a report from the Daily Mail’s Sami Mokbel, Newcastle are close to completing the signing of Crystal Palace star center back Marc Guehi for close to a whopping 70 million pounds.
Guehi would be the latest expensive investment by Newcastle, but it would be another case of the Magpies spending big on a top young player with both an established track record of success and a great deal of future upside.
Isak, Gordon, Guimaraes, and Botman were all in the same boat previously, and all four of them have gone on to become important players for Newcastle and among the best in their positions in the Premier League.
Guehi is, likewise, already one of the best in the league and maybe even the world, having just stood out on an international stage for the England national team at Euro 2024.
The 24-year-old center back makes it look easy with his intelligent reading of the game and ability to physically mark any striker out of the game, and he could even be a starter over Botman next to Fabian Schar.
Given Botman – and Jamaal Lascelles – are coming off season-ending injuries, Newcastle could especially use the help from Guehi in the immediate term. For 70 million pounds, Newcastle are about to get one of the best young center backs in Europe.
From a Newcastle perspective, money is no object, and if they are going to spend 70 million pounds on a player, they might as well spend it on a starting-caliber, young Premier League player who can potentially become the league’s very best in his role.
The last hurdle to a deal being completed would then lie with Guehi. As long as he believes in the Newcastle project and their Champions League future, it’s hard to see this deal falling apart.
