Newcastle have made a move for Real Madrid left-back Ferland Mendy according to reports in France.
Despite the fact that Newcastle only signed Matt Targett in the summer after a successful loan spell, it seems like they are still in the market for more options in the left-back position.
Dan Burn, who was brought in as a centre-back has been deployed at left-back for the majority of the season keeping Targett out of the side. Targett himself has had a torrid time with injuries and Eddie Howe confirmed after the 0-0 draw with Leeds that Targett has a nasty heel injury that will keep him out for the foreseeable future.
That leaves Howe with limited options at left-back with Dan Burn the closest thing we have to a first-team-ready recognised left-back. Jamal Lewis has never looked like he’s been up to the task since he came in from Norwich and Matt Ritchie is likely to be moved on in January.
So it seems that Dan Ashworth has been shopping and according to Foot Mercato in France, a significant offer has been made to Real Madrid for Ferland Mendy.
However, it’s believed that the Spanish side aren’t keen to sell in this window putting Newcastle, and fellow interested party, Paris Saint-Germain on the back foot.
The 27-year-old France international is seen as a more attack-minded option than Dan Burn, who has been criticised for not offering enough going forward. Personally, I think that criticism is unfair as he’s already playing out of position, so to add extra pressure on him to play even further out of his comfort zone seems a bit harsh, especially given how reliable he is at his defensive duties.
That being said, for variety it does make sense to have a left-back who is comfortable charging forward and Mendy definitely fits that bill. Hopefully, we can persuade Real Madrid to part with him.