Newcastle United are interested in securing the services of Southampton left-back Ryan Bertrand this summer. According to recent reports, the Saints defender will leave the south-coast club at the end of the season with a whole host of clubs looking to pounce on his signature. It is understood that the Magpies are keeping tabs on his progress at the St. Mary’s Stadium and could make a move for him when the transfer window opens in the summer.
Some sources are also claiming that Southampton are looking for a fee in the region of £25m for their prized asset. The Saints refused to let him depart the club during the January transfer window as they already parted ways with Virgil Van Dijk. However, they would be powerless to keep him at the south-coast if the club gets relegated to the Skybet Championship at the end of this season.
In 2016, Bertrand put pen to paper on a new £80,000-a-week, five-year contract with the Saints. It is believed that he will give his best for Southampton as they look to avoid relegation going into the final stretch of the campaign. However, the English full-back will definitely consider leaving the club in the off-season, especially if they fail to stay in the Premier League.
The Tyneside outfit are in form in the Premier League and find themselves in the 10th position with just 6 league games left to play in this campaign. The Magpies are in need of some reinforcements in the summer transfer window so they can improve their league performance next season.
The addition of Bertrand will undoubtedly bolster Benitez’s defensive options going into the new campaign. The Magpies currently have the likes of Paul Dummett, Massadio Haïdara and Javier Manquillo vying for a place in Newcastle’s first-team. The potential signing of Bertrand will definitely add more competition for places in the Magpies squad.
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The English defender has featured in 33 matches for the Saints this season but is yet to find the back of the net. At 28, he still has a lot of years left to play at the top level which Newcastle United could look to capitalise on in the coming years. It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the future of Bertrand and whether he ends up making a switch to the St. James Park in the near future.
