Newcastle United linked with a £26m transfer for defensive ace: Do they need him?

Newcastle United have quite a few issues to solve in the summer. First, they will have to tie down Rafa Benitez to a longer contract, as the Spaniard hasn’t yet put pen to paper on a new contract, perhaps waiting for a change of ownership or clarity regarding that.

They will also have to invest astutely in the squad if they want to move to the top 10 of the league, the least the fans deserve after what they’ve seen in the last decade or so.

The Magpies have been linked with quite a few signings since the end of the season, and now reports have emerged that Brazil-born Russian full-back Mario Fernandes, could be a target for Newcastle.

As per the Mirror, Fernandes could be available for £26 million from CSKA Moscow – the club he has played for since 2012. Fernandes joined CSKA from Gremio for €15 million, and has gone on to become an integral part of the Russian side.

Despite being born in Brazil, and even featuring once for the national team, Fernandes switched allegiances to Russia and has represented the national team on 16 occasions, including the recent 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Should Newcastle United fork out £26 million for Fernandes?

Newcastle United don’t have a lot of funds to spend in the transfer market as owner Mike Ashley has put the side up for sale and does not want to invest in new players under his regime. This means that spending £26 million on a right-back, that too one who hasn’t played in the Premier League and is 28 years of age, does not seem like a good decision.

Fernandes is a good player who can attack and put in menacing crosses, while being solid defensively – in the air and on the ground, with good tackling ability.

However, it wouldn’t be wise to spend such a large chunk of Newcastle’s transfer kitty on Fernandes alone as they need to strengthen elsewhere.

The Magpies need a striker, which should be one of their most important positions to fill in the summer. Salomon Rondon had a good year for the Magpies, but it remains to be seen if he will return to Tyneside for another spell.

DeAndre Yedlin had a good season at right-back, while Javier Manquilo is a good squad player to have who can play right-back. Newcastle’s priorities must be to find a 20-goal striker.