Newcastle United tipped to make ‘excellent acquisition’ by Bundesliga expert

Bayer Leverkusen defender Mitchel Bakker would be an “excellent acquisition” for Newcastle United.

That would be the verdict of Bundesliga expert Dan O’Hagan as rumours of a potential move for the Dutch defender continue to gather pace.

The 21-year-old came from Ajax’s famous ‘De Toekomst’ academy but a surprise move to Paris Saint Germain meant he never made a senior appearance for his boyhood club.

Despite being brought in as a future prospect, Bakker fought his way into the PSG first-team and won the praise of current Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchal with a string of impressive performances.

Tuchal’s departure in December 2020 and the arrival of former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino limited Bakker’s first-team opportunities and he was allowed to join Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen last summer.

The Dutch under-21 international made a promising start to life in Germany and marked his home debut with a goal in a 4-0 win against Borussia Monchengladbach.

An ankle injury suffered in a 0-2 defeat against Vfl Wolfsburg curtailed his promising introduction at Leverkusen - but Bakker has returned to feature in his side’s last four games.

Speculation of a possible £14.5million move to Newcastle have not come a surprise for O’Hagan, who believes the move would work for all parties.

‘Would be an excellent acquisition for Newcastle’

He told NewcastleWorld: “Economics being the way they are, if Newcastle put in the right offer, I think Leverkusen would be open to the move and wouldn’t need too much convincing.

“He made a good start at Leverkusen after they brought him in to replace the Brazilian left-back Wendal, who went to play in Portugal.

“Bakker had been at Ajax for nine years, so he was well-schooled and was given a terrific foundation in the game.

“PSG was maybe the wrong move, it’s a club where politics are at play and maybe he wasn’t seen as a big enough name to fit with some big-name players - but Leverkusen was the right move.

“He was an upgrade on Wendal and Daley Sinkgraven, who hasn’t really convinced Leverkusen.

“Bakker is a typical, modern full-back, but they haven’t really seen the best of him yet because of the injury he suffered earlier in the season.

“He’s back now and I think he would be an excellent acquisition for Newcastle.”

Be aware of agent talk

Bakker is not the only Bundesliga player mentioned in relation with a move to Tyneside this month.

Freiburg centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck and Borussia Monchengladbach duo Denis Zakaria and Alassane Plea are also on an ever-increasing list of speculated transfer targets for the Magpies.

O’Hagan - a regular commentator on Sky Sports Bundesliga coverage - believes many German clubs are holding a watching brief on events at Newcastle and are well aware of the “financial clout” possessed at St James Park.

“A whole host of Bundesliga players have been linked to Newcastle - but I think a lot is mostly agents talking,” he explained.

“They have seen a club out there with money to spend and I think the clubs themselves are saying let’s see what happens with Newcastle

“For a club like Leverkusen, with Covid meaning a lack of fans through the turnstiles hitting their finances, it would be all about getting best possible deal for themselves if Newcastle came in for a player.

“I think German clubs are aware of the financial clout they now have and will hope to make the most of that if a bid came in.”