Newcastle must repeat Botman transfer trick to sign Man Utd target

Cameron Smith

• 24 Mar 2024 21:32 GMT
• 3 min read

RC Lens defender Facundo Medina is being watched by multiple top clubs ahead of the summer transfer window, but Newcastle United should make him a priority target.

Manchester United were linked with a move for Medina back in 2021, however they opted against signing the Argentine in favour of purchasing Raphael Varane. However, the Red Devils remain interested in the 24-year-old and reports from Italy and France state that he is currently being monitored by the Old Trafford club.

FootballTransfers understands that Jarrad Branthwaite is Man Utd’s primary centre-back target, but several other names have also been linked with a move, including Jean-Clair Todibo, Dayot Upamecano and Medina.

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Matteo Moretto has reported that Medina is being eyed up by Atletico Madrid as a possible replacement for Stefan Savic, who may leave the Spanish capital this summer.

However, given Sven Botman’s recent ACL injury, Newcastle would be wise to sign Medina.

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Facundo Medina to Newcastle?

Eddie Howe’s side have been decimated by injuries this season and it’s a key reason why they look set to miss out on Champions League football. Botman has played just 17 times in the 2023-24 Premier League campaign and he suffered an ACL injury against Manchester City last week.

The Dutchman is now set to miss the rest of 2024, meaning Newcastle will need to sign a replacement this summer.

The Magpies’ have a severe lack of depth across their squad and particularly in defence, so they will need to dip into the transfer market if they retain European ambitions.

Medina represents the perfect Botman replacement and he may be available for a decent fee.

Newcastle enjoyed great success by purchasing Botman from Ligue 1 and they would be wise to repeat the same trick with Medina. He is a left-footed centre-back with brilliant passing ability who always helps progress the ball up the pitch.

Furthermore, he’s an aggressive defender out of possession, which may work nicely next to the underrated Fabian Schar.

In addition, Medina has at least a 90% similarity to Botman according to data analytics SciSports’ player comparison tool, which means he should be able to fill the Dutchman’s shoes at St James’ Park.