Newcastle United will be looking to sign players in several positions across the pitch. While most of the talk has surrounded their attack and midfield, the Magpies’ defence could do with some strengthening as well.
It will be very interesting to see how they go about doing that. The centre-back position seems to be ageing. And there is a lack of depth in the full-back positions.
Newcastle United have been linked with quite a few Brazilian players lately. Danilo of Botafogo is one of them. Another is Ederson, who saw his Manchester United move collapse in the final steps. Now, another name has been added to that list.
This time around, it is not a midfielder, but a Brazilian defender that Newcastle United wants. But once again, they have company in this transfer race. And if recent history is anything to go by, coming up second is a real possibility.
Newcastle United make contact looking to sign Brazilian defender
According to a report from Viola News, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest have inquired about Dodo. He has less than a year left on his contract with Fiorentina and will leave Florence this summer.
Fiorentina are believed to be looking for a transfer fee in the region of €16-17 million. After discussions with Inter Milan, Napoli and AS Roma, nothing has developed when it comes to a move for Dodo.
So, that does leave the door open for Newcastle United to swoop in. And the transfer fee should not be a problem if they are convinced he is the right man for the job.
There are some areas which could be concerning when it comes to Dodo’s game though. Could he actually work at Newcastle United?
Danilo lacks size but is putting up mind-boggling numbers
Dodo has made more than 160 appearances for Fiorentina since joining the club in 2022. So, he has proven himself in a top five European league.
That being said, one cannot overlook the fact that he is 5’5″. That could prove to be a problem for Newcastle United in the defensive phase of the game in the Premier League, where size and physicality matter so much at times.
Then again, if you take a deep dive into his numbers for Fiorentina, they are immense. He is elite going forward and carrying the ball up the pitch. No other positional peer completed more dribbles or touches than him in Serie A last season.
Of course, defensively, you will need to work hard to hide his weaknesses. That being said, he has his qualities as well. He had more recoveries than anybody else in the Italian top flight. Also, he was in the 93rd percentile for interceptions.
It is very likely that many teams have overlooked Dodo over the years just because of his lack of size, but he might just be good enough in other phases of the game to make up for that.
