Five centre-backs Newcastle could sign after Tosin Adarabioyo snub
Tosin Adarabioyo is set to join Chelsea, which means that we will not be getting an early fix to our defensive concerns. With only Fabian Schar and Dan Burn set to start the season at centre-back, we do need reinforcements. Lloyd Kelly is set to join according to reports, but Eddie Howe will want another signing there to make sure he is well covered.
In a continuation of our transfer pieces discussing potential targets, below we will identify five potential targets for us this summer at centre back.
Dayot Upamecano - Bayern Munich
The first potential target is Dayot Upamecano, a player we have been loosely linked with in the past. It would be a high profile signing, as he has been a regular for Bayern Munich and France. However, there is a belief that he could potentially be available this summer and it would be a huge statement of intent from the club.
Physically, Upamecano has everything that we will be looking for in a centre back. He is tall and has plenty of strength. The Frenchman wins 2.07 aerial duels per 90 minutes, while he makes 1.99 tackles per ninety minutes. These rank him in the 55th and 84th percentiles respectively. He is aggressive in his defensive work and that would allow him to be a very good fit for us.
Fabian Schar's strengths in possession aren't overlooked and Upamecano shares similar ball-playing abilities. That shouldn't be a surprise given he was schooled in the Red Bull system. The French international averages 7.09 progressive passes and 1.35 progressive carries per ninety minutes. Further to this, his passing accuracy stands at 92.7%. The 26-year-old is elite with the ball and he would immediately improve our team in possession.
His main weakness is his concentration, as Upamecano has been known to make errors that lead to goals. However, a move to a new league could sharpen up his focus and it could provide him with the environment that he needs.
Upamecano would be seen as an ambitious target, but if he is available this summer, he would be a nailed on guarantee to be a success at St James' Park.
Arthur Theate - Rennes
The next two centre backs that we will discuss are similar to Fabian Schar. If we are looking for a like-for-like competitor for the Swiss, these two would fit. Arthur Theate is a 24-year-old centre back who plays for Rennes. At 6'3", he has the physical profile to do well in the Premier League, but he only wins 1.69 aerial duels per 90 minutes. It is a similar weakness to Schar, but he is still young enough to improve in this area, especially with his height.
Where Theate excels is his progressive abilities with the ball. He averages 5.94 progressive passes and 1.47 progressive carries per ninety minutes. This puts him in the 93rd and 94th percentiles in each respectively, underlining how he is very good at launching attacks from defence. Meanwhile, his 88% passing accuracy is impressive, albeit slightly lower than Upamecano's.
Theate would be a little bit of a gamble, but his abilities on the ball make him an excellent competitor for Schar. He would need sharpening up in the air, while he isn't an active or aggressive defender without the ball.
However, at the age of 24, he still has plenty of room for development and could emerge as a very good and complete centre back.
Kevin Danso - Lens
Another centre back who profiles similarly to Schar is Lens' Kevin Danso. He carries the extra benefit of having some experience in Premier League football. Although he only played six times for Southampton, he will have trained in this country and become accustomed to the demands of English football.
Danso doesn't have the same ball playing abilities as Theate, but he is comfortable with the ball. He completes 87.8% of his passes, while he averages 4.17 progressive passes and 0.82 progressive carries per ninety minutes. Danso ranks in the 72nd percentile for each stat. He is comfortable at progressing the ball and launching attacks, but he doesn't excel in the same way Theate does.
However, Danso has more natural pace than Theate and that is something we are missing from our back-line. He also looks more physically ready to be starting regularly in the Premier League.
He is less aggressive than Schar without the ball, but he is still a good defender. Danso prefers to hold his position and make blocks, rather than try to win the ball with a tackle. The defender averages 1.42 blocks, 3.9 clearances and wins 2.02 aerial duels per 90 minutes.
Danso feels like a safe option, but he would add another quality option and wouldn't cost a lot of money.
Mohamed Simakan - RB Leipzig
The next potential target to discuss is Mohamed Simakan. The RB Leipzig defender has been highly rated for several years now. After securing regular football in the Bundesliga, he could be ready to take the next step in our career.
He is another player at the age of 24, which feels like the age profile that we will be looking for. Simakan is excellent on the ball, like the others discussed in this piece. He averages 4.05 progressive carries and 1.28 progressive carries per ninety minutes. Like Schar, he likes to move forwards into the attacking half and he is capable of beating players on the dribble. Unlike Schar, he has a lot of pace and that is what we chiefly need in our defence.
One of Schar's greatest assets is his attacking ability. He often carries a threat both in open play and from set pieces. Simakan is another very active attacker for a defensive player. This season, he got two goals and three assists. His 1.15 shots and 1.78 shot creating actions per ninety minutes rank him in the 98th and 97th percentiles among defenders respectively.
Simakan is more of an active defender than Schar as he looks to be aggressive without the ball and step forwards to win possession back. His average of 1.97 tackles and 1.28 interceptions per ninety minutes show this.
Simakan would be another exciting signing, who is likely to be attainable. Leipzig like to sell players on to continue to invest in further players to develop and the player is reportedly keen on a move to the Premier League.
Murillo - Nottingham Forest
We know Eddie Howe likes to sign players with Premier League experience, so we should include one on this list. Murillo has been an exciting signing for Nottingham Forest, as he looks to have the perfect physical profile for English football. Although he is raw, at the age of 21, he could develop into a Champions League calibre at centre back.
One of Murillo's greatest strengths is his reading of the game. That is displayed by his average of 6.07 clearances per ninety minutes and this ranks him in the 97th percentile among defenders. This is impressive considering his age, but it could also be a symptom of Nottingham Forest's style, as Nuno likes them to sit deep and be reactive in defence.
Murillo is exciting with the ball too, as he likes to explode out of defence into the attacking half. Due to Forest's style, his stats don't reflect the same strengths as others discussed in this list, but is certainly an area of his game that will improve in a better side.
An average of 0.68 successful take ons per ninety minutes puts him in the 98th percentile among defenders. Meanwhile, his average of 0.55 shots and 0.97 shot creating actions per ninety minutes place him in the 58th and 70th percentiles among defenders. In a better team, these would increase and they underline his attacking preferences.
Murillo would be a risk for us and a long term project. Forest would likely demand a big fee, but at the age of 21, he has the potential to be an excellent centre-back. Due to Schar's current form, we have the time to invest in a longer term project. The benefit to signing a player like Murillo is that he is so early in his development and can be moulded into the player we want him to be.
