OPINION
Newcastle United defender Ciaran Clark is surely sweating over his side being in the reported hunt to sign Bristol City defender Adam Webster as surely his arrival could see the 29-year-old pushed out the door.
The Daily Mirror’s Live Transfer Blog (18:52, Sunday June 16th) claimed that the Magpies were one of a number of Premier League sides monitoring Webster’s situation with him set to be at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war this summer.
The 24-year-old Championship centre-back featured 47 times for Bristol City in his 2018/19 campaign and even managed to contribute three goals.
Webster, 24, is a powerful presence in the air due to standing at 6ft 3in tall (Source: Transfermarkt) and has a knack for intercepting the ball, he averaged 2.1 interceptions per game across his latest season (Source: Who Scored), and would no doubt be a reliable presence at the back for the Magpies.
The enforcer would also no doubt prove to be a useful addition to Rafa Benitez’s current squad due to his versatility.
Webster is not only able to play as a centre-back but has also previously featured as a left-back as well as a right-back during his career.
However while the 24-year-old looks like being a potentially great signing for the Magpies to make, it probably won’t have Clark feeling any better about his St James Park future.
The 29-year-old managed only 14 appearances during his 2018/19 campaign and journalist Chris Waugh previously claimed while writing for the Chronicle that if a “decent offer” came in for Clark then he would be sold.
Given that the Newcastle defender’s biggest strength is his versatility, he featured as a left-back as well as a centre-back in his latest campaign, the arrival of Webster would see his services even less needed.
This is especially the case when you consider that Webster is even more versatile and is a significantly younger player who could push the current first-choice options harder for a place in the starting line-up than Clark.
Benitez is a smart manager and will no doubt, if he stays, want capable replacements to arrive before seeing senior players depart.
So with that in mind, Newcastle’s hunt for Webster must have Clark sweating as it could seal his fate given that club are in the hunt to sign the 24-year-old who could easily take his spot in Benitez’s squad.
