Ashworth plotting NUFC swoop for "complete" £52m machine, just imagine him & Botman - opinion

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United‘s interest in Benoit Badiashile in the summer transfer window… 

According to Nice-Matin, via Sport Witness, the Magpies are in the race to land the defender as Dan Ashworth plots more swoops ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The ex-Brighton chief has already brought in Sven Botman, Matt Targett and Nick Pope and is now looking to strengthen the squad further.

However, this latest report claims that the Toon need to be careful of their Financial Fair Play situation, suggesting that they may need to sell players before they continue their spending spree, as AS Monaco will demand a fee up to €60m (£52m).

Chelsea, Sevilla, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid are also said to be keen on the centre-back, and it remains to be seen how much longer Newcastle can hold off on making a move for him.

If the Magpies can work a way around their budget to secure a deal for Badiashile, then Eddie Howe could have an exciting central defensive duo with which to work moving forward.

Botman has arrived on a permanent deal for Lille and his statistics in Ligue 1 suggest that he has the potential to be an excellent player in the Premier League. He averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.10 in the French top flight last term as the 22-year-old proved that he can perform to a high level on a consistent basis despite his young age.

In Badiashile, Newcastle would be bringing in a player with a similar scope for development. The 21-year-old averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.02 for Monaco in the same division as the Dutchman in 2021/22, winning an astounding 77% of his aerial battles.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig previously dubbed the machine a “definition of a complete centre-back”, and his 88% pass accuracy,