Barcelona defender emerging as a priority target for Newcastle United next summer | OneFootball

Although Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi have been playing non-stop this season, there is no doubt that FC Barcelona started this season with a clear surplus of center-backs in their squad.

However, Ronald Araujo has not yet been able to play for Hansi Flick, as he got injured in the 2024 Copa America while playing for Uruguay. Similarly, Andreas Christensen also played only a few minutes in the opening game against Valencia and has been recovering from his tendinopathy since then.

These two players are getting nearer to their returns, and Araujo can make his first appearance this season in the upcoming game against Leganes. Similarly, Christensen is expected to return in January.

However, with the way Martinez and Cubarsi are playing, these two returning defenders will not find it easy to make their way back into the starting lineup for Barcelona. This is particularly the case with Christensen as he is older than Araujo, and the club considers the Uruguayan to be a cornerstone for their team going forward.

In such a scenario, the Dane has been linked with a move away from the club in recent times, even though the defender is committed to remaining and succeeding at the Catalan club.

According to Fichajes, one of the sides that are interested in signing the center-back is the Premier League side Newcastle United, who have set him as one of their priorities for the next summer transfer window.

The defender himself might not be too averse to a return to England, as he has already played with Chelsea, while the Magpies would also benefit by signing him as they will get a proven defender with a lot of experience playing at the highest level.

Similarly, Barcelona are also looking to free up salary space, and as they are also looking likely to add Jonathan Tah to their squad next summer, they will also be looking forward to parting ways with the Dane. However, there are still some months left till the summer transfer window starts, and it remains to be seen how this operation unfolds.