Newcastle have made a surprise move for Manchester City ace Willy Caballero, according to a Chronicle report.
The regional newspaper claims the Toon have an “offer in” for the 35-year-old shot-stopper, but they want to offload Matz Sels before potentially sealing a deal for him.
The regional newspaper claims Anderlecht want to sign Sels on loan, but they would struggle to match his £20,000-a-week wage demands.
The report also states Turkish outfit Fenerbahce are interested in signing Sels, who disappointed in his first campaign with the Magpies.
Newcastle’s offer for Caballero comes as a surprise given the Times previously claimed he would prefer a move to Chelsea over a switch to the north-east.
The 35-year-old joined City in the summer of 2014 from Malaga in a £6.8million switch, and he has since played 48 league and cup games for the club.
Caballero was used in tandem with Claudio Bravo by City manager Pep Guardiola last term, and he made 27 appearances in all competitions, keeping 10 clean sheets.
The veteran’s early stages of his career saw him play for Elche and Malaga, and he played more than 100 league and cup games for both clubs.
Benitez will hope to strengthen his squad ahead of his side’s 2017-18 Premier League campaign, and he has identified the goalkeeping position as a particular area for improvement.