Wilfried Singo to Newcastle? - Turkish report claims €40m bid has been launched
Fotomaç claims Newcastle United have offered Galatasaray €40m for Wilfried Singo and that talks between the clubs are continuing.
However, that report requires considerable caution. Other Turkish coverage has linked Newcastle with the player, while describing the €40m bidder only as an unnamed English club, and there is no major English corroboration at the time of writing.
Would Singo make sense after Dedić?
Yes, but mainly as a centre-back who can also cover at right-back.
Newcastle have just completed the signing of Amar Dedić in a deal reported to be worth £29.5m. The Bosnian can play on either side, so another specialist full-back is no longer an urgent requirement.
Singo offers something different. Monaco described him as a central defender when he left for Galatasaray, but he has also played extensively on the right for club and country. That positional flexibility is the appeal, but we are in greater need of left-sided options.
In our look at how the current squad fits Matthias Jaissle, we argued that Newcastle could do with a centre-back capable of defending a higher line and filling in at full-back.
On paper, Singo fits much of that description. He would give Jaissle another central option and provide cover for Dedić or Tino Livramento without Newcastle needing to carry another specialist right-back.
Singo's availability has to be part of the discussion
The obvious concern is his recent injury record.
Galatasaray doctors rejected claims in January that Singo had a chronic problem. He said the defender's first absence was caused by a muscle injury and the second was an unrelated tendon issue.
Singo then appeared to hurt his left hamstring during Ivory Coast's World Cup defeat to Germany in June. He was back in partial team training by 5th August and made the bench for Galatasaray's 2-2 league opener against Çorum FK on 14th August, although he did not play.
Galatasaray also have considerable negotiating leverage. Their official stock-exchange disclosure shows that Singo cost €30.77m last summer and signed a five-year contract running until 2030. Monaco are also entitled to 10% of Galatasaray's profit from a future sale.
A €40m deal would therefore give Galatasaray a quick return after one season, but the long contract means they do not have to accept it.
Would we take Singo? Yes. The positional profile makes sense and he's a physical monster when fit.
Do we believe Newcastle have definitely lodged a €40m offer on the current evidence? Probably not.
