The St. James’ Park side have been linked with a new young talent.
According to new rumor, Newcastle United are interested in bringing a dynamic young defender to the Premier League.
Who has Newcastle signed for the 2023 season?
Over the summer, PIF and Eddie Howe signed five new players on a permanent basis: Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes, Tino Livramento, and Yankuba Minteh, while Lewis Hall arrived on a season-long loan from Chelsea.
In terms of departures, Allan Saint-Maximin, Chris Wood, and Karl Darlow were the three senior talents that permanently left the northeast, joining the likes of Ryan Fraser, Jamal Lewis, and Isaac Hayden, who were temporarily put out on the road to get more regular playing time.
The St. James’ Park club have therefore made room in the squad for more arrivals in January after sanctioning a number of exits before the previous deadline, and one player who appears to be on their radar is Sao Paulo centre-back Lucas Beraldo.
The Brazil youth international has three years left on his contract, but after impressing at the highest level after being promoted to the first squad from the academy last summer, the 19-year-old has caught the attention of the NE1 management.
Are Newcastle interested in signing Lucas Beraldo?
According to Spanish media (via Sport Witness), Newcastle, Liverpool, and Wolverhampton Wanderers have all “expressed interest” in Beraldo ahead of the January transfer window.
| Lucas Beraldo’s Strengths | Lucas Beraldo’s Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Passing | Aerial duels |
| Tackling | n/a |
| Concentration | (Information via WhoScored) |
The Premier League trio has been impressed by their target’s achievements, which have “caught the attention” of his admirers, who also include Benfica, Porto, and Monaco from outside the country.
Scouts at St. James’ Park are now evaluating a “promising investment for the future,” but as the outlet points out, fending off other possible bidders at the start of 2024 would be difficult.
How talented is Lucas Beraldo?
Beraldo is a “fearless” defender, according to talent scout Jacek Kulig, and that is exactly the attitude and mindset that you want your younger players to have as a manager, so if Newcastle can beat their rivals to his signature, it could be a big coup.
Sponsored by Nike, the left-footed ace ranks in the 93rd percentile for pass completion by centre-backs so is extremely calm and composed on the ball throughout the backline, and he also looks to push his team as high up the pitch as possible, listing in the 95th percentile for progressive passes, via FBRef.
Furthermore, despite only being 5 feet 11 inches, Piracicaba’s native has scored two goals since the start of his career, demonstrating that he can make himself a threat in the opposition’s box when it comes to set pieces.
Finally, Beraldo makes just £770 per week in Sao Paulo, making him the lowest-earner on the books in comparison to the existing squad’s earnings and a pittance in Premier League terms, so this is a no-brainer of a deal to pursue if the opportunity arises.