Newcastle United have identified RB Leipzig’s Mohamed Simakan as a potential alternative target to Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, according to reports.
The Magpies have been linked all summer with Guehi, who has caught the eye in recent years for his performances with Palace and, more recently, England.
However, negotiations have proven difficult, with Newcastle unable to persuade Palace to accept an offer; a task that may prove even harder following the Eagles’ sale of Joachim Andersen to Fulham.
Guehi has also worn the captain’s armband in each of Crystal Palace’s first two Premier League games of the season — though the Eagles have fallen to back-to-back defeats against Brentford and West Ham.
With that in mind, Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell and his recruitment team will now be drawing up a list of potential alternatives to Guehi to ensure they strengthen at centre-back before the summer transfer window closes next week.
According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle have already lodged an enquiry with RB Leipzig for Simakan.
Another report from Newcastle World claims that Simakan — a seven-time France U21 international, now aged 24 — has a £65m release clause in his contract, though that fee is within the region of the ongoing negotiations over Guehi, making it an equally difficult deal to complete for the Magpies.
That said, Simakan’s profile has increased greatly over the last few years and in the 2023/24 campaign, he played 32 of 34 Bundesliga matches to help Leipzig finish fourth — clocking up 42 outings across all competitions.
Bayer Leverkusen’s Odilon Kossounou and Chelsea’s Axel Disasi are other names linked with Newcastle in their hunt for a new central defender, while the club is also understood to be pursuing targets in forward areas.
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