Newcastle United, West Ham United and Crystal Palace are all reportedly interested in signing FC Koln defender Timo Hubers in the summer transfer window.
According to a report from the Daily Mail, 1. FC Koln defender Timo Hubers has become a man in demand in the Premier League as Crystal Palace, Newcastle United, and West Ham United are all eyeing a summer move for the German, valued at around £6 million by the Bundesliga outfit.
A product of the Hannover 96 youth academy, Hubers had a brief stint with Koln’s reserve team between 2015 and 2016 before returning to his boyhood club. The 25-year-old made the jump back to Cologne last summer, arriving on a free transfer. This season, the German defender has featured 15 times in Bundesliga, chipping in with a solitary goal.
However, Hubers had signed only a two-year contract with Koln upon his arrival and will be entering the final twelve months of his deal at the end of the season. His contractual situation has sparked a flurry of interest in the Premier League, with several teams, including Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and West Ham, vying to sign him in the summer.
Crystal Palace reinforced their backline last summer with the additions of Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen, both of whom have performed exceptionally. However, there is not much to go in terms of depth in the centre-back department, with James Tomkins already 33 years old and in the final few months of his Crystal Palace contract.
So, it makes sense for Patrick Vieira to sign a promising, relatively young defender like Hubers, who can provide valuable cover to the first-choice pairing of Guehi and Andersen.
As for Newcastle United, their pursuit of a new centre-back is no secret as they look to replace the likes of Federico Fernandez and Ciaran Clark, who are expected to move out in the summer. With captain Jamaal Lascelles also suffering from bouts of inconsistency this term, adding another defender to compete with Fabian Schar and Dan Burn would be a logical move from Eddie Howe.
To that end, Newcastle have been linked with several defenders, including LOSC Lille’s Sven Botman and Josko Gvardiol of RB Leipzig, with Hubers also now emerging as a potential target for the Magpies.
West Ham United are also pretty much in the same boat as Crystal Palace with regard to their defensive options. David Moyes does not have enough quality in depth in the centre-back department to cover for Craig Dawson and Kurt Zouma. West Ham will likely sell Issa Diop in the summer if reports are to be believed, while Angelo Ogbonna’s contract stands to expire.
So, West Ham, who are likely to be participating in European football again next term, are looking to bolster their backline, with Nikola Milenkovic back on the Hammers’ radar. At the same time, Hubers is also an option that they are considering.
Apart from these Crystal Palace, Newcastle and West Ham, Leeds United and Southampton are also keen on the German centre-back. Fulham, who look set for promotion back to the Premier League, are also keeping tabs on Hubers, who is valued at £6 million. A ball-playing defender, who is also an imposing physical presence as well, the 25-year-old can be a valuable signing for any of the teams mentioned above.
Featured Image Credit: Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons
