Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe relieved some heavy pressure off his shoulders at the weekend by putting bitter rivals Sunderland to the sword in the Tyne-Wear Derby with a 3-0 victory to progress to the next round of the FA Cup.
However, with games against Manchester City and Aston Villa in the Premier League on the horizon to close out January, the former Bournemouth boss could find himself under the microscope once more.
Nevertheless, with the winter transfer window open, Howe could invest in the market to bolster his squad beforehand and is reportedly eyeing up defensive reinforcements.
Newcastle United transfer news – Andreas Christensen
According to a report from Sport, Newcastle United are set to battle it out with Premier League rivals Manchester United over the signing of Barcelona centre-back Andreas Christensen. The outlet are claiming that La Blaugrana are pushing to sign Real Betis defender Chadi Riad which could force the Denmark international out the door.
Christensen has plenty of experience in English football, having spent eight years with Chelsea where he made 161 appearances for the Blues and even won the Champions League in 2021, coming off the bench early in the game as the London club beat Manchester City 1-0 in Portugal to lift the coveted crown.
The 27-year-old was an integral part of Barcelona’s title win last season, with journalist Domagoj Kostanjsak describing him as a “cheat code” in defence alongside Ronald Araujo and Jules Kounde. Nonetheless, Christensen could now be on the move, with Newcastle keen to improve their depth at the back.
Andreas Christensen's stats this season
While the Dane may not have a long-term future at Camp Nou, he has still been a mainstay in Xavi’s defence this season, having made 20 appearances in all competitions.
Sven Botman has been a regular in Newcastle’s starting lineup since joining the club in the summer of 2022 for £35m. The Dutchman has since played 56 matches for the Geordie club despite missing three months of the 2023/24 campaign through injury.
However, Howe will be keen to find a long-term partner for Botman in the heart of the defence. Due to injuries, both Fabian Schar and captain Jamaal Lascelles have shared the right centre-half position at regular points throughout this season, although the former has been slightly more prominent in the team, featuring 28 times to the skipper’s 22 appearances.
Nevertheless, Christensen has performed better statistically than both Schar and Lascelles this season and looks to be a perfect fit for Howe’s system.
Assists
0.08
0
0
Expected Assists
0.02
0.06
0.01
Progressive Passes
6.12
3.98
2.59
Progressive Carries
1.07
0.79
0.6
Passing Accuracy %
95.9
85.2
86.5
Long Passing Accuracy %
82.2
60.4
47.5
Passes To Final Third
5.7
4.45
3.19
Interceptions
0.99
0.94
0.34
Tackles + Interceptions
1.74
2.25
1.55
Aerial Duels Won %
75.7
50.7
67.1
Stats via FBref
The central defender is used to playing regularly in a possession-based system based on his time at Chelsea and Barcelona, hence why he has superior stats to Newcastle’s right-footed centre-backs. Additionally, as Botman is left-footed, Christensen would comfortably slot right next to him in the back four.
Christensen is a player with plenty of experience in England’s top flight and wouldn’t need a settling-in period to get to grips with the speed of the game. Furthermore, he is at the right age now, whereas both Schar and Lascelles are on the wrong side of 30.
If Christensen is available, with a market value of just £34m, as per CIES Football Observatory, then Howe certainly shouldn’t pass up the chance to bring him to St. James’ Park.