No Scalvini? No problem - Five U23 central defenders Newcastle could sign this summer

While a number of the Premier League’s biggest clubs have already got to work on signing new recruits for next season and in the process spent untold fortunes in transfer fees, England's richest club have yet to spend a penny in this current transfer window. Newcastle, who are primarily owned by the Saudi Arabian Public investment fund (PIF), have yet to make any major signings, aside from the arrival of 18-year-old winger Antoñito Cordero on a free transfer from Malaga. But that is likely to change very quickly in the coming weeks. 

According to multiple reports, the Geordie side are on the hunt for a new central defender. Ahead of the new season, Eddie Howe’s side only have one central defender on their books under the age of 30 in the form of 25-year-old Sven Botman. And while the likes of Fabian Schär (33), Dan Burn (33) and club captain Jamaal Lascelles (31) are all dependable bulwarks in Howe’s defensive line, the club clearly feel the need to add some depth and talent to their ranks. However, that’s far easier said than done. 

So far the Premier League side have found great difficulty in finding the right central defender for their cause. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the club have failed to land Atalanta star Giorgio Scalvini, after the club declared that their young defender is “unsellable” this summer. This comes after reported attempts to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba, Gonçalo Inácio of Sporting and even Bayern Munich’s Min-jae Kim. There’s little doubt that Newcastle are struggling to sign a new central defender. But fortunately for Howe and his backroom staff, Transfermarkt are here to help. And today we’ve got five central defenders aged 23 or younger and with a market value of less than €40m that could potentially be smarter signings for the club this summer. 

 

Castello Lukeba - RB Leipzig 

The first name on our list is a player that has been linked to a number of clubs this summer. Since making the move to RB Leipzig in 2023 from Lyon, Castello Lukeba has gone from strength to strength with the Bundesliga side and come to embody his compatriot predecessors Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate has an outstanding defensive talent in the making. With Leipzig failing to qualify for the Champions League this season, the German club are reportedly needing to sell players to make up the financial gap and as such as Lukeba has been one of the players that the club would happily cash in for the right price. It just depends whether Newcastle could beat the likes of Liverpool or Bayern Munich to Lukeba’s signature. 

 

António Silva - Benfica 

Another young defender who looks destined for a move to England’s top-flight is Benfica star António Silva. Having just completed his third full season with the Liga Portugal giants, Silva has quickly established himself as an excellent central defender with all the hallmarks of a top-class player in the making. Although he might not show the same physicality as Burn or Schär, his dribbling and passing couple well with his excellent one-v-one defending and could compliment Howe’s current group of central defenders perfectly. 

 

Cristhian Mosquera - Valencia 

If Newcastle really want to roll their sleeves up and get aggressive in the transfer market then they may want to consider a move for Valencia’s Cristhian Mosquera. The young defender is almost certain to leave the LaLiga club after reportedly rejecting an extension to his contract, which expires next season. This has led to Arsenal making a move for the player, with reports in Spain suggesting that the North London club have already submitted a second offer for Mosquera. However, it seems as though Mikel Arteta’s side are trying to low-ball their Spanish counterparts with an offer of just €10m. Leaving plenty of room for Newcastle to step in and offer more for a younger defender who’s shown an impressive capacity to pull the strings at the heart of defence, while also being an excellent defender in his own right. 

 

Renato Veiga - Chelsea 

If Newcastle aren’t interested in getting into bidding wars with domestic rivals and may instead look to sign a player that is more or less for sale, they could do a lot worse than Chelsea’s Renato Veiga. To no great surprise, the Stamford Bridge side seem to be having a fire sale this summer and while Veiga has never really made a name for himself at Chelsea, he did perform well on loan at Juventus after joining the club mid-way through the season. Such performances have reportedly led to Juve wanting to sign the defender permanently, with Bayern also keeping tabs on the defender. But with Chelsea only wanting a reported €25m for the 21-year-old talent, he could prove to be a very obtainable and smart signing for Newcastle this summer. 

 

Taylor Harwood-Bellis - Southampton 

Last but certainly not least on our list is Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis. Whether on loan at Burnley or since joining Southampton on a permanent deal last summer for €23m, Harwood-Bellis has proven to be an exceptional young talent that is more than capable of competing in the Premier League. To no great surprise, recent reports have suggested that the 23-year-old defender is desperate to stay in the English top-flight, despite Southampton’s relegation. This has, surprisingly, led to Burnley reportedly offering to loan the player with an option to buy. However, an offer from Newcastle would undoubtedly be far more appealing for the young defender, if Howe and his team deemed the Saints star as an ideal addition to their team for next season.