Marc Guehi to Newcastle transfer: Magpies close to sealing deal for Euro 2024 star | OneFootball

Newcastle United hope to complete the signing of Marc Guéhi before getting their Premier League campaign underway.

According to reports, the Magpies are cautiously optimistic that Marc Guéhi will start the season in a black-and-white jersey. Negotiations with Crystal Palace over the English defender’s proposed £60m-plus move are believed to progress well, and Guéhi is extremely keen on relocating to St. James’ Park.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe — who has been linked with the vacant England job but is reluctant to leave his current post — saw the need for defensive reinforcement painfully illustrated last season when the Magpies were plagued by injuries.

Looking at their four recognised central defenders, only Fabian Schär (36) played in more than half of their Premier League fixtures, with Sven Botman (17), Jamaal Lascelles (16), and Paul Dummett (five) often finding themselves in the physio room.

So much uncertainty at the back, coupled with first-choice goalkeeper Nick Pope featuring on 15 occasions, couldn’t have come at a worse time as Newcastle played in their first Champions League campaign for two decades. The season prior saw them secure fourth place, their highest top-flight finish since coming third under Sir Bobby Robson 20 years prior.

Newcastle were 11 points worse off, and even though goalscoring improved (68 goals compared to 85), their defensive record was concerning. They had conceded 33 goals during the 2022/23 campaign, their best in a Premier League season, only to concede 62 times, which matched Newcastle’s output in 2020/21 and 2021/22.

Botman, rehabilitating from anterior cruciate ligament surgery, is considered Guéhi’s long-term partner in the heart of Newcastle’s defence. Guéhi was one of England’s standout performers at Euro 2024 and has gained a well-deserved reputation.

Then-manager Gareth Southgate’s decision to bring him to Germany, as Harry Maguire’s replacement after the Manchester United man could not pass a fitness test, was grounded, though he would not be described as a player who excels statistically.

Guéhi, who has a similar playing style to Schär, boasted a 75% tackle success rate and made 1.25 tackles per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season. Although his interception rate is relatively low at 0.80 per 90 minutes, it could indicate that his strategic positioning often prevents the need for such interventions. In addition, his clearance rate of 3.96 per 90 minutes is quite impressive.

Being a forward-thinking coach, Howe expects his centre-backs to initiate Newcastle’s build-up play. As the statistics show, this is different from Guéhi’s experience at Palace. With an 86.9% pass completion rate, Guehi nevertheless demonstrates a strong ability to keep possession under pressure. His 2.98 progressive passes per 90 minutes and 0.67 progressive carries show his readiness to move the ball forward, although there is room for improvement in these areas, which is likely to happen in his new environment if a transfer goes through.

It’s also worth considering that Guéhi missed a chunk of last season (12 matches) due to a knee injury that coincided with the power transfer from Roy Hodgson to Oliver Glasner. Indeed, he only made three appearances under the latter, totalling 108 minutes, and one game saw him positioned in defensive midfield.

Such versatility may give Howe pause, but the chances of the former Chelsea academy graduate being played out of position are slim. Standing at 6 feet, Guehi isn’t the biggest defender in the league, but he is a formidable presence in the backline nonetheless. Last season, he won 50% of his aerial duels. His standout performances at Euro 2024, which only demonstrated his defensive prowess and capability to perform under pressure, may have earned him such a move.

Having been unable to break into Chelsea’s first team, during which he spent two seasons on loan at Swansea City before returning to London with Palace in 2021, a move to Newcastle isn’t the steepest ascent, and it’s very much in line with his career progression.