Newcastle United had the worst possible start to their Premier League campaign as the Magpies have lost their opening two fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur and Huddersfield Town. Rafa Benitez has made a number of signings this summer to overhaul the squad but hasn’t been able to grind out a result in favour of them.
Benitez brought Florian Lejeune from Eibar to bolster his defence but the French defender made his task even more difficult by getting injured. He is set to miss a number of matches and the gaffer is thought to have emphasised on the signing of a defender and has identified Kasim Nuhu of Young Boys as his next target.
The Magpies sent their scouts to have a brief look at the player who is touted to be the next defensive superstar in Europe. Young Boys were playing their Champions League qualifying match against CSKA Moskow and Benitez is reportedly taking an interest in the player.
The gaffer has been furious over Newcastle’s lack of activity in the transfer window and has been demanding fresh funds to enhance his squad depth but has been told he needs to offload players before buying anyone.
The Magpies are pretty well stocked in the defensive department but recent events have shown the necessity of a new defender. Nuhu is only 22 years old but has been pretty impressive with his displays till now. Although he scored an own goal in this Champions League qualifying match, it is unlikely to change Newcastle’s stand regarding him.
Nuhu only signed for the Swiss club last season and he would also command a cheaper fee than other defenders available in the transfer market right now. Benitez is desperate for a defender and might make a formal bid for the player.
With deadline day approaching very fast, Newcastle need to make a move as soon as possible. After lifting the Championship title last season, Benitez was promised he will have sufficient money to spend in the summer but so far things haven’t materialised in that aspect.
A bid in the region of £8m should be enough to land the defender. Benitez has disbursed the transfer kitty wisely till now but is expected to spend a bit more freely after watching his team take the tumble in the first two matches.
With teams like Huddersfield, Burnley and the likes showing some great form over the starting weeks, Benitez will need to stabilise things before the alarm bells start ringing.
