Even though Fabian Schar is showing no signs of slowing down and was just given a new contract on Monday, the Swiss player, who is now beyond the age of 32, simply cannot continue to compete for an indefinite amount of time.
Despite the fact that Turkish giants Besiktas have reportedly shown interest in Jamaal Lascelles, the player has not yet reached an agreement on a new deal.
Out of all the central defenders that Newcastle now has at the senior level, only Sven Botman, who is 23 years old, seems to be a viable option for the long term.
In point of fact, it was rumored that the club was interested in adding a defender throughout the course of the summer, but they ultimately decided to concentrate on other areas that needed attention.
Since then, they have been associated with a few different possibilities. One is Jarrad Branthwaite, who plays for Everton and is reputedly valued at £100 million.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, has the potential to make things messier.
Jarrad Branthwaite is the most recent player to join Real Madrid.
The Daily Mail reports that the Spanish giants have shown interest in the defender currently on their roster.
In the aftermath of injuries sustained by Eder Militao and David Alaba, manager Carlo Ancelotti may choose to use the 21-year-old youngster, who has previously worked with the player at Goodison Park.
It has been stated that the La Liga giants are receiving overwhelmingly positive scouting reports regarding Branthwaite for the next season.
Jarrad Branthwaite: Newcastle transfer blow
Having had a somewhat more challenging campaign this time around, Newcastle is now confronted with the very real possibility of playing the next season without participating in the Champions League.
Taking all of this into consideration, it is impossible to conceive of them being able to triumph against competition from the likes of Real Madrid, while Manchester City has also been connected with Branthwaite.
Although it is possible that they would be in the top four at the conclusion of the season, it is quite doubtful that they would pay one player one hundred million pounds.It is considered that FFP concerns still exist, and no signing during the PIF period has come especially close to succeeding in breaking over that barrier.
Sadly for Newcastle, it is possible that they may have to begin searching elsewhere…