Newcastle are interested in signing Chelsea centre-back Trevoh Chalobah, according to GiveMeSport.
The 25-year-old has been left out of the Blues’ pre-season tour of the United States, as the London club try to force him out.
Chalobah is said to be reluctant to leave but there is a danger that he could be frozen out entirely if he remains at Stamford Bridge beyond the summer.
The Magpies have not made a formal enquiry but they are said to be one of seven clubs contemplating bids for the defender now it is known that he is up for sale.
Who are the teams interested in signing Chalobah?
GiveMeSport report that Eddie Howe’s team will be joined by the likes of West Ham, Manchester United, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan in the race for the centre-half‘s signature.
It is believed that Chelsea will demand at least £30m for Chalobah, despite having accepted a £25m offer from Nottingham Forest just under a year ago.
Newcastle are short of options in defence
Both captain Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman are expected to miss the first half of next season with knee injuries, which means Howe will have just three senior centre-backs to choose from: Fabian Schar, summer signing Lloyd Kelly and Dan Burn.
The Magpies were hoping to snap up Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer from Fulham to reinforce their numbers but the move was hijacked by Chelsea. Ironically, that signing has likely hastened the Blues’ decision to sell Chalobah.
The competition from so many other clubs, and the fact that the player is not happy about leaving Stamford Bridge, means this transfer won’t be easy to pull off. Getting the approval of Chalobah will be crucial to getting this deal done.
Find out who is in Newcastle United’s first-team squad for 2024/2025 season here