Newcastle eye Ajax giant Aaron Bouwman as scouts pursue Fabian Schar's successor

Newcastle United are reportedly keeping tabs on Ajax youngster Aaron Bouwman as the club continues its search for a long-term successor to Fabian Schar.

The 19-year-old centre-back has emerged as a name of interest, with Premier League rivals Chelsea also understood to be monitoring the highly-rated defender.

Newcastle scouts tracking another Ajax talent

Newcastle scouts have been tracking the 6ft 6in defender, with Bouwman’s name being put forward to the club by intermediaries, according to The Chronicle's Lee Ryder.

The teenager is represented by the same agency as Matthias Jaissle and has already impressed Newcastle’s recruitment team, with sporting director Ross Wilson having made trips to Amsterdam last season to watch Sean Steur before the midfielder eventually made the move to Tyneside.

Bouwman has been out of action over the past month after suffering a nasty collision during Ajax’s 3-1 defeat to PSV, leaving him with bruising to his sternum and a bruised lung.

The Dutch defender remains contracted to Ajax until 2030, having signed a new long-term deal last December after making his senior debut.

Search underway for Schar’s successor

Newcastle’s interest in Bouwman comes as we looks towards the future at centre-back.

Schar signed a one-year extension earlier this year, taking him into a ninth season on Tyneside, but the Swiss defender will be 35 when that deal expires in 2027, with this likely to be his last season at the club.

We therefore need to think beyond the short term, particularly with Dan Burn also approaching the latter stages of his career at 34.

With Sven Botman and Malick Thiaw already providing younger options alongside Schar and Burn, bringing in another talented centre-back would allow Newcastle to future-proof another key area of the pitch after a summer full of youthful additions. 

Bouwman is clearly one to keep an eye on, then, with Newcastle’s interest another indication that the search for Schar’s eventual successor is already underway.