Report: Eddie Howe blocked Newcastle move for 26-year-old Frenchman | OneFootball

Newcastle United were very interested in improving their defensive unit during the summer transfer window and Marc Guehi was on their radar.

According to reports, Newcastle failed with multiple offers to sign the Crystal Palace defender at the start of the season. A report from Daily Mail now claims that they were offered the opportunity to sign Axel Disasi from Chelsea as an alternative to the England international.

The 26-year-old French defender has been linked with a move away from Chelsea in recent months, but Eddie Howe was not keen on signing the player for Newcastle. Paul Mitchell floated the idea to the Newcastle manager who was quick to turn down the opportunity.

It seems that Howe was right in his assessment of the Chelsea defender. The 26-year-old has been quite mediocre for Chelsea and he would have been an underwhelming addition for Newcastle. The Blues paid £39 million for him, but he has not been able to show his qualities for them yet. He has been a flop at Stamford Bridge so far, and Newcastle need better players if they want to push for major trophies.

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Newcastle need a quality defender

It is no secret that Newcastle need to bring in defensive reinforcements, and it will be interesting to see if they can sign a quality central defender in January.

Guehi would have been an exceptional acquisition for them. The Crystal Palace defender has proven his quality in the Premier League and he is on the radar of multiple European clubs. He has all the tools to develop into a top-class Premier League player.

He is already well-established in English football, and he has proven himself to be a reliable performer with the Eagles. Newcastle must look to aim for quality players like him if they want to build a formidable side.