Newcastle offered £8m Cardiff gem

Newcastle United have been offered Steven Caulker by relegated Cardiff City according to the Chronicle.

Caulker, who will feel that he needs to move to a Premier League club to further his international ambitions, has a £8 million relegation release clause in his contract that is likely to be triggered this summer.

Still only 22-years-old despite having a large amount of top flight experience under his belt with Tottenham Hotspur, Swansea City and Cardiff, Caulker has time on his side and is sure to add to his solitary England cap to date.

Having joined Cardiff from Tottenham last summer for a similar fee to what his is available for this time, a return to Spurs could also be on the cards, while Crystal Palace and Liverpool, the latter now led by his former manager Brendan Rodgers, have also been credited with an interest.

However, Caulker ticks a lot of boxes for Newcastle, namely his age and his nationality, and they require a long-term successor to captain Fabricio Coloccini.

A signature such as Caulker would be a real signal of intent from Newcastle, something they haven’t shown over the last 18 months, and while their priority acquisitions may be at the other end of the field, the Magpies shouldn’t ignore strengthening their backline.