Man Utd man tipped for Newcastle move as Howe eyes £86m double swoop for defenders | OneFootball

Newcastle United should sign Manchester United captain Harry Maguire in the summer transfer window, according to Liverpool legend John Barnes.

The England international has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford this season with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez emerging as Erik ten Hag’s preferred centre-back pairing.

Victor Lindelof and left-back Luke Shaw have even been preferred to Maguire at centre-back this campaign and it looks likely he will move on this summer.

A recent report has claimed that Maguire would ideally like to hang around at Old Trafford but that Gareth Southgate’s recent comments about his England future have made the Man Utd defender think twice.

And former Liverpool and England star Barnes reckons Maguire would have a “better time at Newcastle” and help him keep his place in the England side.

Barnes told India Betting: “I think Maguire can have a better time at Newcastle. I think so.

“Because of course, you look at him when he plays for England and of course Harry always plays and Gareth Southgate loves him in the team.

“It just hasn’t worked for him at Man Utd and once it doesn’t work, it’s going to be difficult for the fans to back him. Once he’s got this perception, no matter how well you do for England or elsewhere, it will be difficult for him to do that at Man Utd.

“I think Maguire would be a great signing for Newcastle. He’s English, he’s a main player for the national side and he’d be a good signing for Newcastle if it comes off.”

There are no clear signs that Newcastle have made a move for Maguire but Italian publication Calcio Napoli 24 claim that Newcastle are interested in Man Utd target Kim Min-Jae and Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres,

Man Utd appear to have almost certainly won the race to sign Kim with a report today in Italy insisting that he was packing up his house ready to move to Manchester.

But Newcastle are ‘also interested in proposing economic offers’ to the Napoli centre-back with his €60m release clause becoming active in the first fortnight of July.

Napoli are hoping that they can make ‘Kim’s departure less painful’ with a move for Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres, who has an asking price of €30-40m.

However, there is interest from other clubs around Europe, including fellow Serie A side Juventus, while Newcastle are said to ‘like’ the Spain international.