Newcastle’s £35m signing of Sven Botman has emerged as one of the signings of last summer as his defensive solidity helped the Magpies secure Champions League football for the first time in 20 years.
The Dutchman is still only 23 years old and has a monumental future ahead of him. Eddie Howe will be looking to repeat this trick and find a more long-term partner for Botman, considering that Fabian Schar turns 32 in five months.
One player tipped to become part of the Tyneside revolution and be a great addition is Joachim Andersen.
What’s the latest on Joachim Andersen to Newcastle United?
Last week, it was reported that Tottenham and Newcastle were both chasing the Crystal Palace star, who the Eagles value at around £50m.
Since arriving in English football in 2020 on loan at Fulham, Andersen has amassed a respectable reputation as a physical, composed, and technically astute defender.
Indeed, despite suffering relegation with the Cottagers in his debut Premier League season, the 27-year-old still performed admirably. In February 2021, he was nominated for the division’s Player of the Month Award in which he captained the side, played every minute, and registered an assist.
It seems strange that a loan player would ever be given the captaincy, but it is a testament to his quality and influence, which earned him a move to Palace and yet more Premier League exposure.
In south London, his consistency reached new heights, as the £80k-per-week titan has started 66 of the club’s last 76 domestic outings, in which the Eagles have nailed down their status as a sturdy mid-table side that has barely been threatened by relegation.
This is partly owed to Andersen’s marvellous ball-spraying ability and commanding leadership from the back. Last term, he won 64% of his duels, made no errors leading to shots or goals, averaged an 80% pass accuracy and ranked within the best 16% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for aerials won per 90.
That year, the Argentinian played 35 matches, averaging the most interceptions per game (2.6) and third-most tackles (2.0) per game, and his stint as skipper shows he and Andersen are both deemed leading figures.
Alan Pardew has also previously highlighted his “calmness” on the ball, which Andersen possesses in abundance, so a possible move could see a rebirth of Coloccini at St James’ Park.
Would Joachim Andersen be a good signing for Newcastle United?
Andersen’s former coach at Midtjylland, Svend Graversen, has previously lauded his talent, saying: “He always had that calmness. Growing up, what I liked was that he took full responsibility to bring the ball through the lines.
“He was the leader in defence — I put him at centre-back but he was normally a midfielder. You could see the calmness on the ball, his awareness, especially the space in front of him in the defence was very good. There was the potential to be a top defender.
“As an under-17, he was the best in the league. Even though the national team couldn’t see it right away, he was on another level.”
If Newcastle seals this deal, it could afford Andersen the chance to replicate Fabricio Coloccini’s heroics. The former captain made 275 appearances for the Magpies and was an instrumental component of the side in the 2011/12 season that finished fifth.
