NOT HAPPY:Prior to the January window, the £60 million target for Newcastle clai…

£60m Newcastle target says he is open for a new challenge ahead of the January window

NOT HAPPY:Prior to january window, the £60 million target for Newcastle clai… 

Newcastle United are looking to bolster their defence in January and now one of their key targets from Bayer Leverkusen has suggested that he may be open to a move next month.

Newcastle have been tracking Piero Hincapie alongside a handful of other Premier League teams as the young defender looks to leave Germany.Journalist Florian Plettenberg has reported that Hincapie is unhappy at Leverkusen and wants a new challenge in January, with Newcastle keeping a close eye on his situation.

Newcastle are eyeing up a new defender for January

There are a number of positions that Newcastle would like to improve on in January, especially because of the injury crisis that has hit the squad this season leaving them short all over the pitch.

Captain Jamaal Lascelles has had to step back into the defence after Sven Botman suffered an injury back in September with his last game being the 8-0 win against Sheffield United.

Though the Dutchman returned against Fulham, Fabian Schar has now suffered a knock and it’s unclear whether or not he will be available for the next game against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup.

This poor injury record has effectively forced Newcastle into exploring the January market and Leverkusen’s Hincapie is certainly a player that they admire, whether they can afford him is another matter.

Hincapie would cost Newcastle around £60m

One thing that does seem fairly clear about Newcastle’s January plans, or at least what has been rumoured, is that there is not an awful lot to spend on reinforcements.

It’s understood that Hincapie does want out of Leverkusen, but he is still under contract until 2027 and the German side would require £60m to let the Ecuadorian defender go.

This seems like it is way out of Newcastle’s budget, especially if they are looking to spend it on multiple positions in January, so a deal for the Leverkusen star right now feels unrealistic.

That’s not to say that the Magpies won’t target the 21-year-old in the summer, but for now at least it looks as though he id just out of their price range.