Newcastle United sporting director Paul Mitchell has another young centre-back on his watchlist alongside Abdukodir Khusanov.

It seems increasingly likely that the Magpies will not be procuring the services of Khusanov this month as Manchester City continue talks with RC Lens for the Uzbekistani defender.

Mitchell is continuing in his overseas search for talent after almost paying a premium for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi back in August, with the latest on his radar a towering La Liga loanee. 

Newcastle eyeing Bah?

According to The Athletic, Newcastle United are taking a close look at Real Valladolid loanee Juma Bah.

North-East reporter Chris Waugh reveals that the club have been watching the 18-year-old, who is currently on loan at the La Liga side from AIK Freetong.

Like Lens’ Khusanov, our sporting director is keen to bring in a young centre-back – although Bah is considered ‘one for the future’ and a project player, not ready to slot straight into Howe’s first team.

Our reported interest in Bah comes just as Man City look set to win the race for Khusanov, meaning we must look elsewhere in our bid to recruit a young centre-back able to become Fabian Schar’s long-term replacement.

Project players becoming a theme

Bah is a towering 6’5” centre-back deemed a first team player in a few seasons time. It feels as though it is preparing for a future without Fabian Schar who, although aging like a fine wine, is now 32-years-old.

A contingency plan has to be in place for the Swiss, who is bound to show signs of aging at some point soon, and getting ahead of the curve with project players has been a theme of recent windows.

Lewis Hall wasn’t exactly the first name on the team sheet last season but has made the left-back position his own in 2024/25. Will Osula is another clearly not deemed first team ready yet, although he showed what he is capable of with that stunning strike against Bromley. 

Additionally, Vakhtang Salia is set to sign from Georgian outfit Dinamo Tbilisi in August, once he’s turned 18. Of course, as proven by the sale of Yankuba Minteh, the pathway isn’t always so linear.

Picking up these young talents will either prove to be a bargain if they develop into regular first team starters or, alternatively, gems to sell for a major profit down the line to ease our PSR struggles.