Newcastle United are interested in Dundee defender Jack Hendry following his impressive performances in the Scottish Premiership this season, according to the Mail.
The newspaper claims that the Magpies are in the hunt for the 22-year-old alongside Premier League rivals Southampton and Crystal Palace.
It is understood that he is a ball-playing centre-back that has drawn comparisons to Manchester City’s John Stones and also received major praise from Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers earlier in the season.
The report details that Newcastle want to bolster their backline and are eying Dundee’s defender ahead of a potential January swoop.
The Mail further report that a meeting is scheduled this week at Dundee to discuss the future of their centre-back as his sale could raise crucial funds for the cash-strapped club.
Good move for Newcastle?
Hendry is being tipped to become a future star in the Premier League and bringing him to St James’ Park could be a smart move.
His technical quality makes him standout as a modern-day defender and Benitez would love to have someone like him in his team.
Newcastle do already have Jamaal Lascelles, Florian Lejeune and Ciaran Clark as their man options in the heart of defence, but could do with extra reinforcements to bolster the squad.
Hendry is being tipped to become a future Scotland international and could develop nicely in the North East.
This Is Futbol rating: 7/10
Likely to happen?
Hendry’s contract at Dundee is about to enter the final 18 months and there is a big chance he may have to be sold on by the Scottish top-flight club to help them out financially.
Newcastle stand a good chance of signing the centre-back on the back of this, who is clearly an in-demand defender that could become a regular in the Premier League if he continues to develop.
The Magpies will face stiff competition if they want to win the race for his signature as Southampton are already preparing for life without their defender Virgil van Dijk.
This Is Futbol rating: 5/10