Newcastle United are joined by Premier League rivals Everton and Southampton in plotting a transfer raid for Toulouse defender Christopher Jullien this summer, according to journalist Robin Bairner.
The goal.com writer claims on his personal Twitter account that the 6’4″ (source: Transfermarkt) colossus is being watched by all three of the English top flight sides, and that he could be available for a fee of around £8.8million (€10million) this summer.
Newcastle, Southampton and Everton among the side tracking Toulouse centre-back Christopher Jullien, according to local sources. #NUFC #SaintsFC
— Robin Bairner (@RBairner) August 2, 2018
In the region of €10m – bargain by this summer's standards.
— Robin Bairner (@RBairner) August 2, 2018
Jullien made 36 appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit last season, scoring twice, and has played for the likes of German side Freiburg as well as Auxerre and Dijon in France.
Good move for Newcastle?
Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez would not have been expecting to need a new centre back heading into the final week of the transfer market but Florian Lejeune’s long-term injury blow has changed his plans.
It could well be one Frenchman being replaced with another if Jullien were to arrive at St James’ Park, but the two are very different in styles.
Where Lejeune likes to play the ball out with his feet, Jullien is very much a powerhouse unit, dominating defenders with his physical presence – and that is something the Magpies actually lack right now.
He could therefore be quite a welcome addition to the squad.
This is Futbol rating: 7/10
Likely to happen?
This all comes down to money, and there is no way Benitez is going to sanction £8.8million of spending on a defender who will be used primarily as backup to the first team – unless someone else were to depart.
Right now, it is looking unlikely, but as with anything in football, it could all change in the blink of an eye.
This is Futbol rating: 3/10