OPINION
Leicester City are preparing to make a move for fit-again Liverpool right back Nathaniel Clyne, according to the Sun.
The deal, which could eclipse the £12.5million the Reds paid Southampton for the England international in 2015, is one that Newcastle United should be looking to hijack.
Clyne, on a reported £70,000-per-week at Anfield [Source: Spotrac], is a talented player who has been unlucky with injuries throughout his time on Merseyside.
His spell on the treatment table has coincided with Trent Alexander-Arnold’s emergence at the club, largely leaving him subject to requirements.
The Magpies would be pulling off a major coup if they were able to snare the 27-year-old from Leicester’s clutching grasp. The Englishman remains a terrifically talented player who still has many years ahead of him.
He has proven himself at Premier League level and was one of the finest players in his position during his time with the Saints.
Rafael Benitez typically employs DeAndre Yedlin on the right hand side of his defence, with the United States of America international nailing down the position ahead of Javi Manquillo – although the Spaniard did start against Manchester United on Saturday.
Yedlin is a decent player who puts in a good shift each and every week, but he is not on Clyne’s level. The Liverpool man is light years ahead of the Newcastle defender both going forward and at the back.
It’s the sort of signing that the Magpies should be looking to pull off if they want to go to the next level. The club has been happy with mediocrity for too long, and it’s starting to show on the pitch.
Benitez’s team are without a win so far this season, and are in serious danger of being dragged into a relegation battle once again.
Signing a player of Clyne’s quality would help alleviate those worries, while demonstrating a level of ambition that has been absent for many years on Tyneside.
Mike Ashley’s indifference towards the on-field product makes this an unlikely move, but if Newcastle are to have any hope of surviving this season then January additions are required, and Clyne would be a fantastic one.