Newcastle United have been considering a swoop for Stuttgart central defender Konstantinos Mavropanos this summer, but will now need to move swiftly to prevent rival Premier League interest.
Who wants to sign Konstantinos Mavropanos?
According to the Sun, the former Arsenal prospect is a target for Eddie Howe's Magpies, though West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers currently lead the race to sign the Greece international.
The report claims that while Newcastle – who are in the market for a right-sided centre-back – are monitoring the situation, they do have other targets ahead on their shopping list.
It's thought the player has a release clause of €25m (£21m) in his contract.
How good is Konstantinos Mavropanos?
The 6 foot 4 "gladiator" – as praised by former boss Pellegrino Matarazzo – did not cut the mustard at the Emirates Stadium and made the move to Germany after playing just eight times for the Gunners, perhaps severing his chances having picked up a red card despite his little time on the pitch.
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But since moving to the Bundesliga, he has gone from strength to strength and now boasts some remarkable metrics to have captured the attention of clubs such as Newcastle and the Hammers, who will both play in European competition this season.
As per FBref, the £13k-per-week titan ranks among the top 4% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues for shot-creating actions, the top 14% for progressive passes, the top 8% for progressive carries, the top 4% for successful take-ons, the top 1% for interceptions and the top 8% for aerials won per 90.
The dynamism and aptitude with both his physicality and technicality is discernible through such statistics, and given that he recorded an exemplary average Sofascore rating of 7.26 in the league last season, completing 86% of his passes, making 2.2 interceptions and 3.5 clearances per game, also succeeding with 66% of his total duels, Newcastle would have a dreamy new addition to bolster the backline.
Newcastle have demonstrated an astute and diligent strategy regarding transfers over the past few years, and this would be a continuation of the club's overall growth, and if Mavropanos is tied up, it could be the second time league rivals Arsenal's loss has been turned to the Magpies' gain.
In August 2021, Joe Willock's impressive loan spell with the Toon was made permanent for £25m, and he has since been an integral part of the club's ascent, having made 35 displays in the Premier League last season, scoring three goals and supplying six assists as Newcastle earned a deserved top-four finish.
Hailed for his "stunning" development by Graeme Bailey, the £80k-per-week Englishman has also been lauded for his “limitless" potential by journalist Simon Collings and looks set for a prominent role as Newcastle continue to improve as a European force.
Signing Mavropanos too would really irk Arsenal, if the pair were able to combine and take even higher than last term's fourth-placed finish, or even further than the Carabao Cup finale defeat to Manchester United, ending a 54-year wait for major silverware.
With Mavropanos' robustness as an all-encompassing modern defender and Willock's creativity and directness in midfield, Newcastle might just elevate their imperious squad even higher, and leave the powers that be in north London watching on with a rueful gaze.
