Newcastle United have reportedly entered the race to secure the signing of 1. FSV Mainz 05 defender Jeremiah St. Juste, who is also wanted by West Ham United.
According to Fussball Transfers, Newcastle United have set their sights on a summer move for 1. FSV Mainz 05 centre-back Jeremiah St. Juste. The 25-year-old is also on the radars of the Magpies’ Premier League rivals West Ham United.
A product of the Heerenveen youth setup in the Netherlands, St. Juste had a two-year stint with Feyenoord between 2017 and 2019 before arriving at Mainz. The defender has been a regular in the starting XI for most of his stint with the Bundesliga outfit. However, he has struggled with a shoulder injury this term.
It has limited St. Juste to just eight league appearances in 2021/22, in which he has scored a goal. The centre-half has represented the Dutch national team across various age-group levels but has never played a game for the senior side.
St. Juste is entering the final year of his contract with Mainz this summer. The 25-year-old is the fastest player in Bundesliga this season, having clocked a top speed of 36.63 km/h. Someone who can play at centre-back and right-back, he is now attracting a lot of interest from clubs in Germany and England.
Indeed, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund are monitoring his situation at Mainz. Premier League clubs West Ham United and Leicester City have also shown an interest in the defender while Newcastle United are involved in the equation as well.
Newcastle United strengthened their defence in the winter with Dan Burn. The former Brighton man has settled in well and forged a fairly solid partnership with Fabian Schar. However, there is still room for improvement in the Magpies’ backline. More so considering that backup options such as Federico Fernandez and Ciaran Clark are likely to leave in the summer.
So, a new centre-back is high on the agenda for Eddie Howe’s side ahead of the summer. Various options are being looked at by the cash-rich Premier League club. Fenerbahce’s Attila Szalai, who was linked in January, is back on the agenda for Newcastle. At the same time, they are still pursuing Lille defender Sven Botman, although they are likely to miss out on the Dutchman, who is bound for AC Milan.
Now, Botman’s compatriot St. Juste has also popped up on the radars of Newcastle. However, they will have to compete with West Ham United, who are also desperately looking for reinforcements in defence. Angelo Ogbonna’s contract expires in the summer while Issa Diop is likely to leave, leaving David Moyes searching for a new centre-half.
St. Juste would be a good pick for the Hammers and Newcastle. The 25-year-old has the pace and physicality to tough it out in the Premier League. With his contract expiring in a year, the Dutchman will also be available at a bargain price of €12 million. Any move, though, would likely depend on how he finishes the season after having struggled with injuries so far in the campaign.