Newcastle United transfer target set for medical after agreeing £8.5m move

Former Newcastle United transfer target Mitchel Bakker is on the verge of completing an £8.5million move from Bayer Leverkusen to Serie A club Atalanta.

The 21-times capped Netherlands international was reportedly on the Magpies radar last year and there were suggestions he was under consideration as a target this summer as an alternative option to Arsenal star Kieran Tierney.

Bakker came through the famed academy at Dutch giants Ajax before joining Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer ahead of the 2019/20 season. However, a two-year stay in the French capital came to a close when he joined Leverkusen in the summer of 2021.

His move to the Bundesliga saw Bakker lauded by Bayer’s sporting director Rudi Voller, as he said: “Mitchel Bakker combines athletic qualities such as pace and strength in challenges with footballing ability. He is a modern full-back with a strong desire to get forward and he’ll help our team.”

The 23-year-old has enjoyed an impressive stay with the Bundesliga club, scoring five goals and providing seven assists in 70 appearances as he helped Bayer compete in the Champions League and reach the last four of last season’s Europa League.

His performances were believed to have sparked Newcastle’s interest as they look to bolster their options at left-back ahead of their return to the Champions League during the upcoming season. But Sky Sports Italia have now revealed Bakker is set to join Atalanta in an £8.5m deal as part of a double defensive swoop along with former Arsenal star Saed Kolasinac.

The report claims both players are set to undergo medicals over the coming days after Bakker agreed a four-year deal at the Gewiss Stadium, with both parties having the option to extend his stay by a further season.