Newcastle Looking To Steal March On Spurs And Leeds In Hunt For 20-year-old | OneFootball

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Newcastle United want to steal a march on Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United in the hunt for a promising 20-year-old defender, according to iNews.

There is pressure on Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell ahead of his first full transfer window in the role and following the failed chase of Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi last summer.

It had been thought Newcastle could go back for Guehi, but they are setting their sights on a more cost-effective deal and the trail has led to France.

Mitchell is keen on Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov, who is already attracting serious interest from England.

It has been claimed that Leeds have already gone in with an offer to sign the Uzbekistan international defender, while Tottenham are also interested amid their defensive injury crisis.

Khusanov presents a feasible option for the English sides as Lens are fully prepared to sell him in the winter window, for the right price.

Newcastle are claimed to want to steal a march over their rivals to get their hands on the 20-year-old.

Whether the Magpies can act quickly and get a deal over the line could be a big test of Mitchell’s abilities as sporting director.