With Newcastle United's protracted pursuit of Crystal Palace defender Marc Guéhi appearing to hit a roadblock, speculation is rife that Eddie Howe could turn his attention elsewhere in a bid to bolster his defensive ranks ahead of the new Premier League season.
According to reports, the Magpies have identified RB Leipzig's Mohamed Simakan as a potential alternative target should their long-running chase of Guéhi ultimately prove unsuccessful. The 24-year-old French under-21 international is believed to have caught the eye of Newcastle's recruitment team with a string of impressive performances in the Bundesliga over the past two campaigns.
Simakan, who featured 42 times across all competitions last season as Leipzig secured a fourth-place finish in Germany's top flight, is understood to have a £65 million release clause in his contract with the Bundesliga outfit. While that fee is comparable to Newcastle's ongoing negotiations for Guéhi, the Magpies are seemingly prepared to explore multiple avenues in their quest to land a new centre-back before the September 1st transfer deadline.
With time rapidly running out, Newcastle have also been linked with moves for Bayer Leverkusen's Odilon Kossounou and Chelsea's Axel Disasi as Howe and sporting director Paul Mitchell step up their efforts to add defensive reinforcements.
The Magpies' determination to strengthen at the back comes amid frustration over their failure to make a marquee signing thus far this summer, with Bruno Guimaraes' £35 million move from Lyon in January remaining their most recent blockbuster acquisition.
For Newcastle's supporters, the link with Simakan is likely to provoke a mixed reaction. While some may harbour reservations about his relative inexperience at the highest level, others could view his impressive underlying numbers and burgeoning reputation as an exciting prospect.
As the clock ticks down towards the transfer deadline, one thing is certain – it promises to be a dramatic finale to the summer window on Tyneside. Whether Simakan emerges as the answer to Howe's defensive prayers, or the club rekindle their pursuit of Guéhi, remains to be seen. But the Toon Army can rest assured that no stone will be left unturned in the hunt for top-class reinforcements.
