Newcastle United are in the hunt for SPAL defender Francesco Vicari, according to Calciomercato.
The Italian publication claim that the 6ft 2in tall centre-back (Source: Transfermarkt), who has regularly played as a sweeper for the Serie A side this season, is doing well this season and one of the team keen on him are the Magpies.
Calciomercato report that Benitez has sent scouts to watch Vicari closely but there’s no word on how much the defender will potentially cost if the Magpies manager gets positive reports back.
OPINION
This is intriguing as the Magpies’ priority in January shouldn’t be recruiting a new central defender, however it seems Benitez is keen to keep an eye on him. The 24-year-old enforcer has impressed in the eight outings he has made across all competitions for SPAL this season and looks like he could be a decent addition to Benitez’s squad. However aside from the fact the Magpies aren’t crying out for central defender’s, the player’s long contract implies he might have a price tag not worth paying on his head. Vicari is contracted to SPAL until June 2022 as he only recently signed a contract extension as he put pen to paper on a new deal in July 2018. The Italian club and the player also have an option to extend the deal by a further year so that implies he is settled where he is. If Benitez is keen to get Vicari then he might have to get the Magpies to stump up the cash in order for the defender to arrive at St James Park anytime soon.
