Newcastle United have made a third offer for England international, Marc Guehi after being rebuffed in two previous attempts, but remain keen on securing his services.
Guehi was a standout performer for England at Euro 2024 as he helped the Three Lions reach yet another final.
The international defender boasted a 6.65 WhoScored rating, which was the seventh-best in the squad, in what was his first-ever tournament with England.
The Magpies looked light at the heart of their defence coming into the transfer window given both Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman are recovering from ACL injuries.
Newcastle maintain their interest in Guehi
Before last season, Guehi had never missed more than two games in the Premier League while playing for Palace.
Therefore, it suggests he is also very reliable, which is important given how frustrating the Magpies’ injury woes were last campaign.
Guehi has been linked with a move to Liverpool earlier in the transfer window, but it appears to be Newcastle who are closing in on the defender.
Having already seen two bids rejected by Palace and Steve Parish, a third offer must come closer to their £65 million valuation.
Sky Sports’ Keith Downie first reported earlier today that Newcastle had lodged a third bid for their top summer target.
While their first two bids were rejected by Palace, it’s believed that this third offer is being considered by the Eagles’ hierarchy.
A club-record fee will be required
If Newcastle had made a move for Guehi before Euro 2024, they may have been able to land him for significantly less given he’s got just two years left on his contract.
However, a standout summer in Germany may now force the Magpies to shell out a club-record fee.
As it stands, Newcastle’s club-record transfer fee was spent on Alexander Isak which set them back £63 million and that proved to be money well spent.
So, PIF are not afraid to take a risk and spend big money on one player when necessary, but arriving with such a huge price tag could put added pressure on the shoulders of Guehi.
Where would Guehi fit in at Newcastle?
Despite being naturally right-footed, Guehi has spent a lot of his time as the left-sided centre back with Palace, which will be a huge positive for Howe.
Fabian Schar is – and has been for years – Newcastle’s first-choice right-sided defender but is now 33 years of age.
So, Guehi could slot into the back four on either the left or right, but it does seem as though he’s being recruited to replace Schar in the long-term.
It’s no surprise when looking at how comfortable the Palace defender is on the ball.
While Schar made more progressive passes last season Guehi was injured for a lot of the campaign.
The Englishman completed seven key passes in the Premier League, while Schar managed 10 (FBRef), so their profiles are very similar.
It’s not only Newcastle who view Guehi in higher regard but also his former academy coach and former Sunderland boss, Michael Beale.
The out-of-work manager spoke about the defender following his standout displays at Euro 2024, he said.
“He was like a rash on the forwards, aggressive in the tackle. He liked to keep his game very simple and then pass it to the midfielders or into the forwards quite quickly and he hasn’t changed from that.
“You see how aggressive he is ‘locking down’ and stealing possession. But he’s very calm when he’s defending.
“He shows a huge amount of confidence to play on the left side and his technical upbringing from Chelsea means he can use his left foot, albeit he is dominant on his right foot.
“When you see the teams line up, he’s not the biggest centre-back but he has a huge leap.
“Quietly people are realising we have an absolute gem in him.”