Newcastle United have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Torino defender Koffi Djidji in addition to Gleison Bremer this month.
According to The Athletic, Newcastle United have the opportunity to sign Torino defender Koffi Djidji alongside teammate Gleison Bremer this month. The 29-year-old has entered the final 18 months of his contract with Torino, who are actively trying to sell the defender before his value drops.
Having conceded a record number of Premier League goals in 2021 (80), there is no wonder Newcastle are sitting second-bottom in the standings. The defence has been Newcastle’s Achilles heel this term, and defensive reinforcements are an urgent requirement before the window slams shut.
With Kieran Trippier already on board, Newcastle United are pressing hard to bring in central defenders. They continue to pursue their priority targets, but as they become desperate, they may have to shift their focus towards alternatives.
The Magpies had seen several lucrative bids rejected for highly-rated Lille defender Sven Botman, with the reigning French champions ruling out a sale. Since then, Sevilla’s Diego Carlos has emerged as the No. 1 target. But his pursuit is also dragging on, while parallel negotiations for AS Monaco’s Benoit Badiashile have stalled with the player currently out injured.
Torino’s defensive powerhouse Gleison Bremer is another name that has recently caught the attention of the Magpies, with reports suggesting that Newcastle had failed with a €30 million bid for the Brazilian defender. Now, it appears that the Serie A club has put forward Bremer’s teammate Koffi Djidji in front of Newcastle.
Djidji spent his formative years at his hometown club AJN Bagnolet before joining the youth setup of Ligue 1 club FC Nantes. After spending five seasons in France, he joined Serie A outfit Torino in 2018, originally on loan. He spent last season on loan at Crotone but has established himself as a regular starter at Torino this term.
The 29-year-old has played 15 Serie A games for Il Toro this season and has been a part of an underrated Torino backline that has only shipped 20 goals after 21 games, the second-best record in the division after league-leaders Inter Milan’s 16 goals conceded.
Newcastle need quality players who can improve their current squad and hit the ground running in their battle against relegation. While Djidji could end up being a shrewd signing, judging by his track record and age, he simply does not fit the profile. And for a club of Newcastle’s financial standing, he would represent an underwhelming panic buy rather than a sensible investment.
Djidji’s defensive partner, Bremer, meanwhile, looks like the real deal. He has been one of the best defenders in Serie A this season, and at 24 years old, he still has a lot of room to develop. With only ten days left in the window, Newcastle will surely have to get their act together sooner rather than later.
