Newcastle 'are focusing on a £17m transfer for Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti' with the Spanish giants determined to dump his £220,000-a-week wages, as Eddie Howe hunts January signings for his relegation-threatened aspect
- Centre again Samuel Umtiti has fallen out-of-favour at Barcelona in recent times
- The LaLiga membership are eager to dump the 28-year-old's costly wage
- Newcastle are reportedly eager regardless of his damage report and lack of minutes
- Eddie Howe's aspect are preventing to keep away from relegation from the Premier League
Newcastle are reportedly focusing on a £17million transfer for Barcelona 's out-of-favour defender Samuel Umtiti.
France worldwide Umtiti, who was a part of the squad which gained the 2018 World Cup, has struggled with accidents in latest season and was not an everyday below Ronald Koeman.
That state of affairs hasn't modified since Xavi's appointment final month and with the LaLiga membership eager to dump his £220,000-a-week wages, report that the 28-year-old may go away subsequent month and the relegation-threatened Magpies have emerged as an possibility.
The report provides that Umtiti has lengthy been linked with a transfer away from the Nou Camp, with Arsenal and Chelsea beforehand .
However on account of a scarcity of minutes, that curiosity has rapidly disappeared and a transfer to the North-East might now be a possible possibility.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe will likely be taking a look at reinforcements within the January switch window - the primary alternative for the Toon to purchase gamers since their Saudi-led takeover of the membership in October.
After drawing 1-1 towards Manchester United on Monday evening, Newcastle are nineteenth within the desk - two factors from security.
They've additionally been linked with a transfer for Lille defender Sven Botman.
Howe says Newcastle are 'dangerously shut' to having lower than 14 gamers accessible for Thursday's journey to Everton after a Covid outbreak and a bruising evening throughout their draw with United.
Howe mentioned: 'I consider it is 13 plus a goalkeeper to have sufficient gamers for a sport. We will be dangerously near that quantity, if there's Covid within the camp.
'We're stretched and it's a troublesome second for us. The lads gave every part however we're skinny on the bottom when it comes to our bodies.'
Umtiti, in the meantime, has additionally been linked with AC Milan and Benfica as cash-strapped Barca look to dump the left-footed centre again.