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Newcastle United have yet to make a January signing and with just over a week before the window closes, time is running out for Eddie Howe.
The Magpies are in contention for a top-four finish in the Premier League amid a decent run of results of late, but a new arrival or two could certainly help this cause.
Plenty of names have been linked with a move to St James’ Park, especially defenders. Ousmane Diomande from Sporting CP is one player who Howe is keen on signing, but he could cost too much this month.
This could see the manager turn elsewhere for a new centre-back…
Newcastle’s search for a centre-back
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Newcastle have been offered the chance to sign defender Eric Garcia, who is currently at Barcelona, having also played in the Premier League for Manchester City.
The 24-year-old has been scouted previously by the Magpies, according to Bailey, and with their need for another centre-back heightening throughout the transfer window, could they strike a deal this month perhaps?
His contract at the Catalan side expires in 2026, which means Howe will have to pay a decent fee in order to secure his signature before the end of the window.
If so, would they be getting someone who is even better than Diomande?
Why Newcastle should sign Eric Garcia
The Spaniard won a league title during his spell with City, but it is while playing for Barcelona that the centre-back has really come into his own.
The 24-year-old has made nearly 100 appearances for the La Liga side, and he would almost certainly be a vital player for Howe, no doubt about that.
|
Eric Garcia’s statistics in La Liga this season (per 90) |
|
|---|---|
|
Accurate passes |
32.6 (92%) |
|
Tackles |
1.2 |
|
Key passes |
0.1 |
|
Interceptions |
0.4 |
|
Total duels won |
3 |
|
Possession lost |
4x |
When compared to his positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues, Garcia currently ranks in the top 3% for shot-creating actions (1.64), the top 2% for progressive carries (1.86), the top 1% for progressive passes (8.05) and in the top 14% for tackles (2.05) per 90 over the previous 365 days.
These statistics prove that he is a forward-thinking defender who loves to play the ball out of the defence as often as possible, starting attacks from his own half.
In comparison, Diomande doesn’t show anywhere near the same level of performance across these metrics.
Indeed, the Sporting CP defender ranks in the bottom 92% for shot-creating actions (0.38), the bottom 85% for progressive carries (0.26) and progressive passes (2.29), along with ranking in the bottom 86% for tackles (1.02) per 90 when compared to his peers in Europe’s top five leagues.
This proves that Garcia may be the better option for Howe, especially as he could cost slightly less than Diomande.
The £96k-per-week star was even hailed as a “monster” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig during his spell with City, indicating how big a talent he was.
On the evidence presented, Garcia would be an excellent signing for Newcastle, especially if they hope to secure qualification for the Champions League.
Will Howe be able to get a deal done this month? Only time will tell.
Related
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Newcastle are gearing up to strengthen their frontline in the transfer market this year.
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