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With news coming out of the severity of Paul Dummett’s injury, the already pressing need to bring in a Premier League-ready left back before the transfer window closes this week became even more urgent. It looks as though Newcastle is responding accordingly, as the club has been negotiating a move for Independiente defender Nicolás Tagliafico, per multiple sources.
Tagliafico, who turns 25 on Thursday, plays primarily as a left back, but has experience playing across the back line, making 16 starts at left back and 13 at center back for Independiente last season. Tagliafico has been at Independiente since 2015, when he joined from Banfield, and has spent his entire career in the Argentine Primera División, save for a season on loan at Real Murcia in Spain. The defender also made his international debut for Argentina on June 13 in a friendly against Singapore.
A transfer fee of €4 million has been discussed, and Newcastle are joined by Sevilla in their interest for the defender. Tagliafico has been compared favorably to fellow Argentine and Banfield youth product Javier Zanetti, and with praise given to his “lung-busting stamina, excellent technique and continuous enterprise,” it is easy to see Tagliafico becoming a Tyneside favorite should the deal come to fruition.
Newcastle has recently seen Siem de Jong and Emmanuel Rivière sold, meaning the club should have funds at its disposal to push for reinforcements before the transfer window closes on Thursday.