---
title: "Newcastle: Liam Kennedy predicts centre-back move"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/newcastle-liam-kennedy-predicts-centre-back-move/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "David Comerford"
section: "Newcastle United"
published: "2021-08-10T12:45:53Z"
modified: "2021-08-10T12:45:53Z"
---

# Newcastle: Liam Kennedy predicts centre-back move

**Shields Gazette journalist Liam Kennedy has predicted that Newcastle United will look to sign another centre-back in the remaining weeks of the window.**

### The lowdown

Newcastle [confirmed on Monday](https://twitter.com/NUFC/status/1424762837956714496) that 21-year-old defender Kell Watts was heading out on loan to League One Wigan Athletic.

Back in mid-July, [The Athletic’s Chris Waugh reported](https://theathletic.co.uk/2708532/2021/07/15/newcastle-transfers-optimism-over-willock-deal-dubravka-worry-hayden-uncertainty-and-centre-half-sought/) that a ‘ball-playing centre back’ was on the Magpies’ list of priorities.

Kristoffer Ajer [had been the top target](https://theathletic.co.uk/2708532/2021/07/15/newcastle-transfers-optimism-over-willock-deal-dubravka-worry-hayden-uncertainty-and-centre-half-sought/) but he instead joined Brentford, while a move for former Liverpool loanee Ozan Kabak is [likely to be deemed too expensive](https://theathletic.co.uk/2708532/2021/07/15/newcastle-transfers-optimism-over-willock-deal-dubravka-worry-hayden-uncertainty-and-centre-half-sought/).

Newcastle also baulked at the money involved in a loan move for Manchester United’s Axel Tuanzebe, with Aston Villa securing his services (via [Football Insider](https://www.footballinsider247.com/revealed-aston-villa-have-agreed-big-money-tuanzebe-deal-after-bid-accepted-by-man-united/)).

\[freshpress-quiz id=”368414″\]

### The latest

[In a tweet after Monday’s development on Watts](https://twitter.com/LiamJKennedy23/status/1424765794286772227), Kennedy pointed out that Steve Bruce currently has Federico Fernandez, Jamaal Lascelles, Fabian Schar, Emil Krafth, Ciaran Clark, Paul Dummett and Isaac Hayden (‘if needed’) available as centre-back options.

He ‘suspects that they’ll still look to add another’ option capable of slotting into Bruce’s 3-5-2 formation.

### The verdict

Newcastle’s transfer budget has been [described as ‘meagre’](https://theathletic.co.uk/2708532/2021/07/15/newcastle-transfers-optimism-over-willock-deal-dubravka-worry-hayden-uncertainty-and-centre-half-sought/) and they could be about to spend [in excess of £20million](https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/joe-willock-arsenal-transfer-news-james-maddison-martin-odegaard-b949778.html) on the signing of Joe Willock. As such, it wouldn’t be a surprise if any centre-back arrived either on loan or as a free transfer.

On paper, they appear to have an abundance of options, but perhaps it’s a question of quality rather than quantity.

Newcastle conceded 62 Premier League goals last season, just one fewer than bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United, so a improvement is certainly needed at the back, where a new arrival may be expected to partner Lascelles and one of Schar or Clark.

**In other news, [Kieran Maguire has slammed these ‘ridiculous’ Newcastle figures](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/newcastle-united-news/newcastle-kieran-maguire-slams-ridiculous-low-spending/).**