Crystal Palace are monitoring the situation with Newcastle United defender Ciaran Clark ahead of a potential move for him in the summer, according to The Telegraph.
Clark is into the final few months of his current £35,000-a-week deal at St James’ Park and could therefore be available on a free transfer come the end of the season. However, Steve Bruce has already suggested that he is keen to keep hold of the Republic of Ireland international and the Magpies intend to hold talks with the 31-year-old over a new deal, according to The Telegraph.
It has now emerged, though, that Crystal Palace are keeping a watchful eye over the defender’s situation and are ready to try and secure a player agreement with him if the Magpies cannot sort out a new contract, per The Telegraph. That is because they see the experienced centre-back as a potential replacement for the out-of-favour Mamadou Sakho.
The Telegraph also revealed that Newcastle are among a group of teams who are interested in making a potential move for Hull City’s rising defensive star Jacob Greaves. The 20-year-old has been in excellent form for the Tigers in League One so far this season, helping them keep five clean sheets in his 12 appearances (Sofascore).
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Keeping hold of Clark must be a priority for Bruce and the Magpies, with the defender playing a key role this season by averaging 1.1 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 3.9 clearances per game in the Premier League (Sofascore). The 31-year-old’s presence is crucial to Newcastle’s defence, having forged his way back into being a permanent fixture in the team after missing the first few weeks of the season.
Losing him to Crystal Palace on a free transfer in the summer would be disastrous for the Magpies, with the 31-year-old a player who Newcastle are trying to convince to stay at St James’ Park. It would therefore be a damning assessment of where the club are right now if he decided to move to another Premier League side who are only one place higher than the Tyneside outfit in the current standings.
The encouraging news from this report is the potential signing of Greaves, who has emerged as a potential star for the future for Hull this campaign. The 20-year-old has been unfazed by stepping into the first team and has been a standout performer for the Tigers, averaging 1.3 interceptions and 4.3 clearances per game as well as a passing accuracy of 80% (Sofascore). He is shaping up to be a real talent for whom the Magpies could pull off a serious coup by signing.
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