Newcastle United are preparing an offer to bring Torino defender Perr Schuurs to the Premier League, according to Sky Sports Italia expert Gianluca Di Marzio.
What's the latest on Schuurs' future?
The Telegraph have reported that Eddie Howe is hoping to get six new signings through the door in the summer, one of those being a new centre-back, and the 23-year-old has been identified as a potential candidate.
The Dutchman only arrived in the Serie A back in August 2022, but in his 26 appearances to date, has already become Ivan Juric’s second best-performing defensive player, so his displays have caught the attention of the hierarchy in the northeast.
The St. James’ Park target’s current contract isn’t set to run out for another three years, so won’t come cheap when trying to get a deal over the line, but it would appear that the board are willing to try regardless.
According to Di Marzio (via TEAMtalk), Newcastle are “preparing an offer” for Schuurs and are “serious” about securing his services ahead of the 2023/24 term. The Magpies haven’t yet tabled an official bid but it’s stated that they hold the “intention” to do it in a move that could potentially see him reunite with his former teammate Sven Botman, with the pair knowing each other from during their time at Ajax and internationally for the Netherlands.
For Torino to sanction his sale, the reporter claims that the northeast outfit would have to “double” the €14m (£12m) they paid for him which would end up being approximately €28m (£24m), a fee that is likely to be “within reach” for PIF.
Would Schuurs be a good signing for Newcastle?
Newcastle will likely be able to attract the majority of their targets should they secure a place in the Champions League, and if he was to put pen to paper, Schuurs would be an excellent backline addition at St. James’.
Standing at 6 foot 3, the “mountain”, as dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting, currently averages 3.3 clearances and 2.1 aerial wins per league game, via WhoScored, so holds a strong physical presence over his opponents.
The Nike-sponsored colossus, who has the versatility to play higher up in defensive midfield alongside his natural centre-back role, can also pose a threat in the final third with 37 goal contributions to his name since the start of his career, making this deal even more of a no-brainer to complete.
