Newcastle target Liverpool centre-back as part of summer spending spree | OneFootball

Newcastle United have been tipped to make a summer approach for Liverpool centre-back Jarell Quansah as part of a potential spending spree.

The financial shackles that have limited Newcastle's transfer capability since 2022/23 are coming off, but budgets could grow even more should the Magpies finish in a Champions League qualifying position – it's looking likely that top five, instead of just top four, will be enough.

Firmly behind Ibrahima Konate in the pecking order to partner Virgil van Dijk, Quansah has only made ten Premier League appearances this season. He started just 11 games across all competition, of which almost half came during Liverpool's Carabao Cup campaign.

The Times writes that Newcastle, having originally made enquiries regarding Quansah last summer as part of a failed swap deal involving Anthony Gordon, are weighing up an approach. A package of £30m plus add-ons is mooted that "would not put a major dent" in the club's spending plans.

Liverpool are faced with having to replace Van Dijk, even if he does sign a contract extension beyond this season, just because of the Dutchman’s advancing age. But it doesn't seem likely that the Reds will promote from within and hand that opportunity to home-grown Quansah.

There have been links with the likes of Borussia Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck, RB Leipzig's Castello Lukeba and Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen, although the latter is also strongly courted by Real Madrid.

Newcastle are specifically targeting a right-footed centre-back as an upgrade on Fabian Schar and Quansah is expected to be a more affordable option than previous target Marc Guehi. Even with a relative lack of experience, the 22-year-old has played 55 first-team games for Liverpool, well-liked by former boss Jurgen Klopp, and was part of England's provisional Euro 2024 squad.