Newcastle United have failed to sign Marco Guehi, leaving them short at centre-back.
Marc Guehi has been a top target for Eddie Howe, with the Magpies desperate to bring the 24-year-old to St James’ Park.
It has been reported that Paul Mitchell believes he could sign Guehi, but Newcastle United have failed to agree a fee with Crystal Palace.
Steve Parish wanted £75m for Guehi, which was £5m more than Newcastle were offering.
The deal fell through, and there was no alternative. Simon Jordan has criticized Eddie Howe for failing to identify more options, with the Newcastle boss now glaring at the back.
Newcastle have an opportunity to rectify this as they can still sign free agents.
With that in mind, here are three Newcastle centre-backs who could be signed on free transfers after missing out on Marco Guehi.
Joel Matip
The most attractive name available to Newcastle United is Joel Matip. He was released by Liverpool at the end of last season but is still without a club.
The 33-year-old is a Premier League and Champions League winner and has partnered superbly with Virgil van Dijk at the heart of Liverpool’s defense under Jurgen Klopp.
If not for his injury problems, Matip would be a tempting option for the Magpies. He is currently being linked with a return to the Premier League, with West Ham United interested.
Simon Kjaer
When Newcastle United faced AC Milan in the Champions League last season, the Serie A giants had Simon Kjaer in their squad. He sat on the bench in the 0-0 draw at San Siro and made 25 appearances for Milan in the 2023/2024 season.
The 35-year-old, who is now a free agent, would bring a wealth of experience to Newcastle’s back line.
Standing at 6ft2in, Kjaer would add even more height to the Toon defense alongside Dan Burn.
Paul Dummett
If Newcastle are really desperate, they can always bring back Paul Dummett.
After leaving St James’ Park last summer, Dummett is yet to sign a contract with a new club. He is still a free agent but has recently held talks with Portsmouth about a move south, where he would be reunited with Matt Ritchie.
Dummett would at least be another body for Newcastle, but the fact that he is a left centre-back rather than a right-back would be a problem.
Free agency isn’t really an option for Newcastle
While there are players out there, it would be a huge surprise if Newcastle United use the free transfer market to fix their centre-back woes.
Instead, Howe will have to stick with what he has until January. That means Fabian Schar and Dan Burn will be Newcastle’s starting centre-backs, with Emil Krafth, Lloyd Kelly and Alex Murphy flanking them.
The Magpies also have Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles, but they are still out with serious knee injuries. Howe said Botman and Lascelles may not return until late 2024.