The transfer window is now open which means Matt Targett is officially a Newcastle player. The first deal is done, so now it’s time to get some more over the proverbial line.
It looks as though Newcastle is focused on strengthening the back line. With the Sven Botman saga continuing to drag on, the Magpies are looking at other options, one of which is said to be Roger Ibañez of AS Roma as reported on Italian site, Calciomercato.
It is believed that Roma will be willing to sell for the right price, said to be €30m, a hefty hike from the €8m plus bonuses it cost to bring him over from Atalanta in January 2020.
If Newcastle’s interest is real they will likely have to see off competition from Tottenham as Antonio Conte is also an admirer of the central defender who can also play as a defensive midfielder. Calciomercato claims that Newcastle was the first club to show a solid interest in the 23-year-old but never mentioned whether an actual bid was made.
Ibanez played 51 games for Roma last season, chipping in with four goals. He has a fantastic injury record, something that would really benefit Newcastle as we don’t have much luck in that department. He has been capped 6 times at Under-23 level for Brazil but is yet to break into the first squad. Perhaps hooking up with fellow Brazilians, Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes could change that.
Whether Ibañez is a backup in case the Botman deal falls through remains to be seen, but it’s encouraging to see that the club aren’t resting on their laurels and are working hard to ensure that, if one target slips through the net, there’s another one in their sights straight away.