Newcastle United have made it no secret that they are admirers of Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi during the current transfer window.
With just a few days to go until the transfer window slams shut, Eddie Howe faces a race to bring the English defender north and vastly improve his squad.
Talks are ongoing between the two clubs, but could the manager perhaps sign an alternative to the Euro 2024 star for the Magpies? One that wouldn’t break the bank…
Newcastle United target move for Guehi alternative
According to reports in Spain, Barcelona could be willing to let defender Andreas Christensen go this summer, if a bid of around €30m (£26m) arrives.
It appears as though Newcastle has the Danish centre-back on their radar ahead of the final few days of the summer window, and he would certainly be a cheaper option than Guehi.
Will Howe make a move for the former Chelsea player rather than continue to haggle with Palace? As he could be a worthwhile addition to the squad.
If Christensen does move to the Premier League, he could turn out to be Howe’s very own version of Matthijs de Ligt.
Andreas Christensen’s 2023/24 season in numbers
The Dane made 42 appearances in all competitions for the Catalan side last term, scoring twice while grabbing three assists in the process.
In La Liga, Christensen finished the season having achieved a pass success rate of 94%, along with winning 3.6 total duels per game – a success rate of 56% – losing possession only 3.6 times per game and recovering 3.6 balls per match as he enjoyed a solid campaign at the heart of the defence.
Metric
Guehi
Christensen
Pass success rate
87%
94%
Total duels won per game
3.6
3
Tackles per game
1.1
0.8
Possession lost per game
7.4
3.6
Interceptions per game
0.7
0.7
Accurate long balls per game
3.4
1.6
De Ligt made the move from Bayern Munich to join Manchester United this summer, arriving as one of the best defenders on the continent. During his spell in Germany, he won the Bundesliga title in 2022/23 after an impressive spell at Juventus prior to that.
If Howe could land his own version of the Dutch titan in Christensen, then it would help improve his backline.
According to FBref, De Ligt is the most-comparable player to the Dane in Europe’s top five leagues.
Indeed, the duo also registered similar statistics last season with regard to pass success rate (94.3% vs 93.9%), shot-creating actions per 90 (1.27 vs 0.84), percentage of aerial duels won (71.1% vs 59.4%) and tackles won (14 vs 12), showcasing their similar playing styles.
Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.
Cesc Fàbregas, his former teammate at Chelsea, lauded the defender a few years ago, saying on X: “What a player. Very underrated. He’s very shy and doesn’t make too much noise because he hardly makes mistakes.”
This is clearly the type of character Howe will want in and around the dressing room, with his ability on the pitch bolstering the Magpies’ defence.
Of course, Guehi is the first choice for the club, but if they can’t work out a deal, then Christensen will be a solid alternative, no doubt about that.
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