Newcastle United target young defender making rapid ascent through European football

Newcastle United face the possibility of a squad rebuild this summer after a trying campaign which has petered out of late.

Despite making it to the Champions League knockout stages, the club will almost certainly miss out on European football next season, due to poor domestic form.

A year on from the club's Carabao Cup triumph, supporters are asking questions of head coach Eddie Howe and his future at St. James' Park, whilst it appears likely the club will also need to sell at least one key player to reinforce the squad this summer.

Newcastle United scouting Nigerian centre-back ahead of summer rebuild

Anthony Gordon has been strongly linked with Bayern Munich in recent weeks, meanwhile Sandro Tonali looks to be another likely departee. There is no guarantee over the long-term futures of Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, either, even though the pair were only signed last summer.

Had Newcastle enjoyed a more fruitful domestic campaign, the squad would not require as much surgery as is forecast, but one position would have needed reinforcing anyway.

Newcastle have an ageing cohort of central defenders, some of whom may leave the club this summer at the end of their contracts.

Fabian Schar has spent the second half of the season injured, while Emil Krafth has also been sidelined for a significant portion of 2025/26. Both players' Newcastle deals are up this summer and at 34 and 31, respectively, will most likely move on.

Dan Burn has featured at centre-back since joining his boyhood club but he will also be 34 by the end of this season and is contracted only for another 14 months. Malick Thiaw arrived last summer from AC Milan, adding youth to the backline but with Kieran Trippier already confirmed to be leaving and Tino Livramento courted by the likes of Manchester City, the Newcastle defence will look decidedly different come the beginning of 2026/27.

It is for that reason Newcastle have been keeping an eye on Trabzonspor defender Chibuike Nwaiwu, 22, according to industry insiders.

FourFourTwo understands there is Premier League competition for the Nigerian who only joined the Turkish Super Lig club in January, but Newcastle are among his admirers.

Such is the impact he has had since leaving Wolfsberger AC in Austria, it is expected he will leave Trabzonspor this summer and join a team in a top five European league.

Nwaiwu cost Trabzonspor €5.5 million (£4.75m) earlier this year, but is signed to a contract which runs until 2030, meaning interested clubs will need to offer significantly more if they are intent on buying him.

The 22-year-old is dominant in the air and has already scored three times with his head since joining Trabzonspor. He is regarded among the most impressive players in Turkey, hence the interest from Newcastle, fellow Premier League club Fulham and reportedly Bayer Leverkusen, too.

Nwaiwu played in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) as recently as September 2024, where he represented Enyimba FC. This summer could see him continue on a rapid ascent to the upper levels of European club football.