Newcastle United scouts to watch Genk defender Kara Mbodj in the Belgian sides’ friendly against Charlton, according to the Mail.
Genk value the versatile defender at roughly £5million and would sanction a sale if Newcastle match their valuation.
Steve McClaren has been busy this summer by bringing in Georginio Wijnaldum and entering advanced talks with Anderlecht with regard to signing Aleksandar Mitrovic. Sending scouts to watch Mbodj suggests he is now looking to bolster his defensive options – arguably the weakest aspect of the squad.
The Magpies will have to act quick if they are to land the Senegal defender as West Ham are also interested. The Hammers have identified Kara (a player with a similar mould to Cheikhou Kouyate, who can play in defence and midfield) as the ideal alternative to Barcelona midfielder Alex Song, should his move to Upton Park fall through.
Kara is a powerful player with great composure, according to his agent Mark McKay. ‘’There is plenty of interest in Kara,’’ he said.
‘’He’s big, powerful but composed too. He’d be an asset to any Premier League side and he’s keen to test himself in England.’’
This could be an astute signing by Newcastle if they pull this off. He is a player with quality and the physicality to cope with the demands of the Premier League.
