Newcastle United might not have the best two centre-backs in the Premier League but… | OneFootball

I was thinking about the central defenders at Newcastle United.

These kind of thoughts happen when you are left without proper football for a couple of weeks…

Something to occupy your mind.

So how do the Newcastle United central defenders rank compared to their Premier League rivals?

I reckon if we are honest, it is difficult to look past Arsenal, when it comes to the best centre-back partnership.

I thought Saliba (cowardly challenge on Tino when the NUFC defender was in midair) and Gabriel (off the ball assault on Big Nick that somehow both the referee and the VAR saw nothing wrong with) should have both been sent off at St James’ Park the other weekend.

However, no doubting that the Arsenal pair are very good players.

As a combination I think they are the Premier League stand out pair.

Arteta’s team haven’t won the title and yet they were easily the best when it came to not conceding goals in each of the last two seasons, only 29 conceded in 2023/24 and 34 in 2024/25. Only 63 in 78 Premier League matches these past two seasons and the Arsenal central defenders a huge factor in that.

Anyway, it was the Newcastle United central defenders that I really wanted to talk about.

If United don’t have the very best two, I reckon for sure that no Premier League club has a better quartet than NUFC, when it comes to central defenders.

I think that in Dan Burn, Malick Thiaw, Sven Botman and Fabian Schar, Newcastle United now have the very best group of central defenders in my time supporting our club.

I have no doubt that all four of them could play for any of the other top Premier League clubs and hold their own.

Also, you look at some of the crazy money paid by Premier League clubs for central defenders, such as Man U £80m for Harry Maguire, Chelsea paying £70m for Wesley Fofana.

The Newcastle quartet cost £85m for the whole lot!

Rafa Benitez with the brilliant £3m Schar purchase, due to a clause in the Swiss defender’s contract.

Then Eddie Howe with the inspired Burn (£13m), Botman (£35m) and Thiaw (£30m plus £4.3m in potential future add-ons).

I find it impossible to say which two are the very best, they are all quality and have different outstanding strengths.

More than anything though, whatever pairing Eddie Howe might choose for any particular game. Whilst I would ideally have a right foot/left foot combination, I would have no concerns on any duo that the NUFC boss would choose.

When have we ever seen that at Newcastle United, four central defenders of such quality, in the same NUFC squad?