Newcastle have joined the race to sign highly-rated 18-year-old defender Dean Huijsen from Italian giants Juventus according to Gazzetta dello Sport.
Reports in Italy suggest the centre-back, who has spent this season on loan at Roma, is valued at around €30m (£26m) by Juve. The Dutch-born, Spanish national has played 13 times for Roma this campaign, netting twice.
Centre-half is a position that has grown in priority transfer-wise since the long term injuries to Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman who both face up to nine months out with knee injuries.
“When you’re missing players for that length of time, I think naturally that will impact what you’re doing,” Eddie Howe said of the duo’s absence ahead of the summer transfer window.
With the club now believed to be looking at reinforcing the central defensive areas, interest in Huijsen perhaps comes as no surprise.
Standing at a towering 6ft 5, the 18-year-old is rated by Opta stats as being similar in profile to Toon star Fabian Schar. In fact, Huijsen scored a goal Schar would be proud of in February, picking the ball up in his own half and driving forward, passing a defender with great footwork to fire a brilliant shot into the far corner.
Huijsen is also attracting interest from current club Roma, Liverpool, Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund but reports in Italy suggest that the Toon are “pressing” for the young defender, more than other clubs interested in him.
