Newcastle United are interested in signing Joachim Andersen from Crystal Palace and are mulling over opening further talks for the Denmark international, though are yet to make an official approach.
Are Newcastle interested in Joachim Andersen?
That's according to the Guardian's Ed Aarons, who has revealed that the Magpies, as well as Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, are pursuing a deal for the Eagles centre-back, though given the lack of ground covered it could go "to the wire".
The 27-year-old has been valued at £50m by the Selhurst Park side, and while his signature would not come cheap, his stellar showings for the club have left the likes of Eddie Howe's high-flying Magpies hoping to seal a deal.
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Newcastle have bolstered the midfield and attack with astute deals for Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes, while a £40m deal for full-back Tino Livramento has been agreed, but the central defence is yet to receive a fresh face.
How good is Joachim Andersen?
The £80k-per-week central defender put pen to paper with the Eagles in 2021, signing from Lyon on an initial £15m deal after impressing on loan with Fulham the season prior.
Described as a "leader" with the potential to be a "top defender" by former coach Svend Graversen, while playing for Midtjylland, Andersen has now chalked up 72 appearances for Crystal Palace and is an indispensable member of their backline.
The 6 foot 4 colossus is also a multi-faceted defender, ranking among the top 18% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for total shots, the top 20% for passes attempted, the top 13% for touches in the attacking box, the top 16% for aerials won and the top 1% for clearances per 90, as per FBref.
Given that FBref list Andersen as a comparable player to Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate, Andersen could be viewed by the Toon hierarchy as the perfect ace to complement the imperious Sven Botman at the back, who has had an "incredible impact" on Newcastle's team since joining from Lille for £35m last year, according to pundit Leon Osman.
That likeness to Liverpool's French titan, who stands at 6 foot 4 himself, falls down to the respectively imposing statures, combative nature and inclination to make a difference in the attacking penalty area, with Konate ranking among the top 10% of centre-halves for successful take-ons, the top 12% for touches in the attacking box, the top 13% for tackles and the top 21% for aerials won per 90.
Konate has been dubbed a "monster" by Liverpool writer Charlotte Coates for his brutish efforts in the defensive third, having also won 77% of his aerial battles in the Premier League last season and made 3.1 clearances per game, as per Sofascore.
Hailed as "commanding" by pundit Robbie Earle, Andersen is already matching this in the English top-flight, winning 72% of his aerial duels and exhibiting his first-rate sweeping skills with an average of 5.8 clearances per game.
Howe already boasts a top-class defence, having concluded the 2022/23 campaign with the Premier League's joint-best defence alongside champions Manchester City, and he could now take Newcastle's ascension one step further by wrapping up a deal for Andersen.