Newcastle United have reportedly submitted a €20 million bid to secure the services of Dutch left-back Mitchel Bakker from Bayer Leverkusen.
According to French outlet L’Equipe, Newcastle United have reignited their interest in Bayer Leverkusen left-back Mitchel Bakker and have tabled an attractive €20 million bid to sign the Dutch Under-21 international. The player’s representatives are currently in England to complete the transfer.
The Magpies are preparing for a frenzied climax to the transfer window. Desperate for new signings, Newcastle are working really hard to bring in a few fresh faces, but it is easier said than done, especially for a team in their precarious position despite their deep pockets. They are still searching for their breakthrough third signing after landing Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood.
There is an apparent need to add a new central defender and central midfielder by the end of the month. However, it appears Howe is unconvinced by the options available at his disposal in the left-back department and is looking to add more quality in that area.
Newcastle identified Atalanta’s wing-back Robin Gosens as their top target and had a bid rejected from the Italian club. However, they have suffered a fresh transfer setback in their pursuit, with the German international reaching a full agreement to join Inter Milan.
The Tyneside giants were also heavily touted with a move for Bayer Leverkusen’s Mitchel Bakker but had cooled their interest in recent weeks, with reports suggesting that player’s disinterest in a potential move to St. James’ Park had resulted in the club cancelling further talks. However, the deal appears to be back on the table, with Newcastle lodging a €20 million bid to secure the 21-year-old’s signatures.
Bakker is an Ajax academy product but was snapped up by French giants Paris Saint-Germain on a Bosman move. He had a tough debut campaign at Parc des Princes, but injuries to both Juan Bernat and Layvin Kurzawa meant he was a regular starter under Thomas Tuchel last term and made 40 competitive appearances for Les Parisiens across all fronts.
Following the arrival of the highly-rated Nuno Mendes, he fell down the pecking order and joined Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen to secure regular first-team football last summer. Bakker has impressed so far in his time in the German top-flight and has been a mainstay for Gerardo Seoane’s side, who are sitting third in the Bundesliga.
The Dutchman has netted once and provided three assists in 13 appearances, but an injury has disrupted his campaign. However, Bakker has recently returned to regain his status as the first-choice left-back. The 21-year-old has a contract until 2025 at BayArena. However, with Newcastle expressing some serious interest, it appears the player could be on course to complete his second move within six months.
Despite having plenty of left-sided options, the Magpies lack dynamism, physicality and technical quality to produce consistency down the left flank. Bakker possesses all the characteristics of a modern defender with height, speed and ball-playing ability.
He is also versatile enough to play as a centre-back, and signing him could go some way in shoring up the leaky backline. Whether Newcastle’s €20 million offer proves good enough to get the deal over the line for the 21-year-old remains to be seen.
