da betcris： Newcastle are reportedly interested in Everton’s Mason Holgate, according to The Sun.
What’s the word?
da bwin： The young defender has had a mixed spell on Merseyside but in recent weeks he has cemented his place in the team and a run of performances has led interest in him to grow.
Sheffield United and Bournemouth are also paying attention to the 23-year-old with a possible view to signing him, and he is supposedly available for a reasonable fee of £14m.
That could be because his contract has 18 months left to run, though if he maintains his current form that could soon change and Duncan Ferguson could decide to make him an important part of his plans, should he stay on as manager.
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Wrong priority
Steve Bruce is reportedly interested in the centre-back due his desire to add English talent to his squad, and though Holgate would be a good addition, he is the wrong player at the wrong time.
Who the heck is that?! Can you name all 25 of these obscure Liverpool signings…
Newcastle have suffered with injuries to a number of defensive players this season, including captain Jamaal Lascelles, Fabian Schar and Ciaran Clark, but despite that they have still been defensively resolute and difficult to beat.
Credit should go to Bruce for that but it is a sign that the Magpies are well-stocked at the back, having conceded 24 goals in 17 league games thus far, and therefore they don’t need a player of Holgate’s ilk.
Instead, they should look to address areas where there is a dearth of quality and depth, which was a big issue last weekend as Joelinton had to cover on the wing due to the absence of Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron.
The forward options at the club also haven’t been good enough this term – Joelinton, Dwight Gayle and Andy Carroll have scored one between them. Therefore, Bruce should look to address that issue before pursuing a target like Holgate, even if he would be an upgrade on current options.
Meanwhile, Newcastle have been targeting a winger to add some depth to the current squad, and our team of Football FanCast writers gave their verdict on the possible signing.