Newcastle United have made first contact with Feyenoord over a summer move for defender David Hancko, according to a report from Foot Mercato.
What's the latest Newcastle transfer news?
Newcastle are clearly keen on reinforcing in the centre-back department this summer, having recently been linked with a move for Manchester United's Harry Maguire, who could fall down the pecking order if Erik ten Hag brings in a new defender.
Joachim Andersen is of interest to the Magpies, though Crystal Palace will reportedly only consider letting the Danish centre-back leave if they receive a "seriously big offer" given that he is contracted until 2026.
RB Leipzig defender Mohamed Simakan could also be an option for Eddie Howe this summer, as reported by The Guardian, although there will be competition from Arsenal, while the German side would be unwilling to let him leave on the cheap.
According to a report from Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness), Hancko has now emerged as a target for Newcastle, and they have already made first contact with Feyenoord to discuss a summer move.
The report claims the Magpies are closing in on the signing of midfielder Sandro Tonali, and they could now move onto a new defender, with the £15k-per-week Feyenoord star fitting the bill, though it may be a difficult transfer to orchestrate.
As the Slovakian is contracted until 2026, Howe could find it difficult to prise him away from the reigning Dutch champions.
Who is David Hancko?
The 25-year-old first made a name for himself with Slavia Prague, registering 102 appearances for the Czech side, during which time he recorded 20 goals and 11 assists – a very impressive record for a player who most commonly plays at centre-back.
Not only is he impressive on the front foot, but the 6 foot 2 titan is also a very strong tackler, ranking in the 96th percentile for tackles completed per 90 over the past year when compared to his positional peers playing at a similar level.
Former Feyenoord boss Mario Been has hailed the Slovakia international for his "maturity, aggression and masculinity", while he played a vital role in the Dutch side's title-winning 2022/23 campaign, making 31 appearances in the Eredivisie.
While success in the Netherlands does not always translate to the Premier League, Hancko was very impressive last season and was ranked as Feyenoord's third-best performing player in the Eredivisie by Sofascore, hinting that he could be a very shrewd acquisition.