Newcastle United reportedly want to sign a Marseille player who once inspired a fan to go on hunger strike in protest at how bad at football he is.
It’s been a bleak summer transfer window for Newcastle so far. They haven’t signed anyone and had bids rejected last week for Brighton’s Joao Pedro, Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga and Burnley’s James Trafford.
Pedro is now set to join Chelsea, Elanga’s £60million asking price is putting off the Magpies, and while they are expected to sign Trafford, Burnley are holding out for closer to £40m after rejecting a £25m offer.
None of those players are central defenders, but that’s another position Eddie Howe is keen to improve this summer.
Newcastle have been strongly linked with Crystal Palace and England centre-back Marc Guehi, but Liverpool are currently favourites to sign him.
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After failing to land Guehi last summer, the Geordies are now looking at other targets — one of which is Marseille’s Leonardo Balerdi.
That’s according to Mail Sport journalist Craig Hope, who says Juventus are also keen on the Argentina international but have a ‘limited budget’.
That has encouraged Newcastle to make their move, having ‘sensed an opportunity’ to sign the £35million-rated defender.
The report confirms that Liverpool remain in for Palace captain Guehi and Ajax teenager Jorrel Hato, which has forced Howe’s side to look elsewhere — and they’ve ‘turned to Balerdi’.
On the club’s interest in Elanga, it’s claimed they ‘remain attentive to a potential deal’, with the Forest winger ‘in the process’ of changing agents.
Another alternative transfer target is West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus, who is also wanted by Tottenham Hotspur.
Back to Balerdi — and a fun fact: a Marseille fan went on hunger strike in 2023 in a bid to get him to leave the club.
L’Equipe covered the story at the time, stating that ‘a desperate fan has launched a hunger strike and a sit-in in front of La Commanderie, Marseille’s training centre, for Balerdi to leave’.
Balerdi joined Marseille from Borussia Dortmund in 2020 and took his time to become a crucial player in France.
Shortly before the hunger strike, he missed the decisive penalty in Marseille’s shock Coupe de France exit to lower-league Annecy, was sent off against Strasbourg after 30 minutes, and was at fault several times in a 3-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
He has definitely improved since then, enjoying a stellar 2024/25 campaign under Roberto De Zerbi.
The 26-year-old now has eight Argentina caps and made 29 appearances across all competitions last season.
He also captains the French giants and is under contract for another three years.