Journalist now drops claim on further defensive signing Newcastle could make after Botman

Newcastle United could look to sign someone to provide cover for Kieran Trippier this summer, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

Trippier has already made a positive impression on Tyneside, but O’Rourke has hinted that there may be slight concerns about his recent injury record.

The 31-year-old started the campaign at Atletico Madrid after winning La Liga just a few months earlier, and he made 15 top-flight appearances for Diego Simeone’s men in the first half of the season, although he did miss a handful of games with a shoulder problem.

He then switched to Newcastle in January, and scored in consecutive games against Everton and Aston Villa as the Magpies started to move up the table.

However, he broke a bone in his foot in the Villa match, which kept him out of action for over two months.

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Newcastle strengthened their defence in January by signing Dan Burn, plus they have just secured a permanent deal for Matt Targett.

They have also been heavily linked with Lille defender Sven Botman, with Fabrizio Romano stating that they are pushing to sign the Dutchman, and O’Rourke thinks Newcastle could be keen on adding another right-back to their ranks in the coming months.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I think potentially a right-back might be brought in as cover for Kieran Trippier, but I think Newcastle are starting to build a competitive squad now. Obviously, we all know they did some good business in January with Dan Burn also coming into that defence, so I think if they could get Botman at the back, Newcastle are definitely making progress and improving the squad.”

Trippier having two separate spells on the sidelines last season could be a