An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in central defender Josko Gvardiol…
What’s the talk?
According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies are set to consider a swoop for the Croatia international at the end of the season, although they are set to face stiff competition for him as a number of sides are keeping an eye on the defender.
RB Leipzig reportedly signed him for £13.5m (€16m) but it remains to be seen how much they would demand for his services this summer.
Van Dijk 2.0
Eddie Howe can find his own Virgil van Dijk by securing a deal to sign Gvardiol this summer as the young defender has the potential to become as good as the Premier League giant, according to someone who has watched him in his home country.
Germania Sport journalist Izak Ante Sucic recently told BBC Sport that he is “built like a tank” and went on to liken him to the Dutch Liverpool star.
He said: “In Croatia we like to compare him to Virgil van Dijk, because he’s built that way (6 foot 1). He’s one of his role models in football and he’s also mentioned Thiago Silva and Sergio Ramos – Ramos because he’s also one of those players who likes to score as many goals as he can.
“In my opinion, I think he can be as good as Virgil one day. When you see how he behaves on the field and off the field, he’s one of those guys where you’d say ‘he’s going to succeed’.”
His statistics in the Bundesliga back up these claims. He has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.12 across 25 appearances, making 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game whilst also completing 84% of his attempted passes for Leipzig – as per SofaScore.
Couple this with the fact that he only turned 20 in January and it shows that he has the potential to make his way right to the top. He is already performing to a high standard on a consistent basis in the German top-flight at such a young age and Sucic believes that he can get to van Dijk’s level.
This is why PIF must do everything in their power to ensure they can strike an agreement with Leipzig for Gvardiol this summer. Howe would then have the opportunity to work with the Croatian to help him fulfil his potential and compete amongst the best centre-backs in Europe.
AND in other news, Howe can unearth a new “outstanding” £20m gem in NUFC’s rarely-seen Darsley Park star…