Report: Newcastle close to third January signing with deal in principle now agreed

By Lee Connor

Newcastle United are close to signing their third player of the January transfer window, with the club having agreed a fee with Bayer Leverkusen to sign Dutch left-back, Mitchel Bakker.

That’s according to The Telegraph, who claim the Magpies have agreed a ‘deal in principle’ with Leverkusen and are now set to discuss personal terms with the former PSG star. There is no mention of the fee, but the report claims the German side will make a healthy profit on the £9m they paid for Bakker.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has been desperate to add new faces following the arrivals of Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood in recent weeks. The club and PIF are desperately trying to complete further deals, but have, so far, ran into trouble. However, with Bakker, things appear to be more straightforward.

Bakker, 21, came through the famed Ajax academy system and has done well already in his career. He’s won seven trophies already, including the Ligue 1 title with PSG. He has one goal and four assists from left-back this term.

Newcastle won out against Leeds this weekend in a major boost for Howe’s side. PIF will be hoping this renewed hope will entice players to make the move during the final week of the window.

TBR’s View: Bakker A Sensible Signing For Newcastle

Mitchel Bakker ticks a lot of boxes really for Newcastle. He won’t break the bank right now but will come in at a good age, a handy amount of experience, and potential to get even better.

Realistically, these are the sorts of signings that Newcastle need to make right now. Bakker improves the first XI considerably, and personal terms won’t be an issue you’d expect.

This is a huge week for Newcastle and PIF. They need players, and the Bakker deal might just be the start of things to come for the Toon Army.