Top 5: Defensive Targets After Debuchy Rejection

If you've been paying attention to Newcastle United at all this summer, you will have see that one of their biggest transfer targets so far has been Mathieu Debuchy in Lille.

But after chasing the Frenchman for months, it appears that Newcastle’s chances of bringing him to St. James’ Park are all but done, after yet another bid was rejected.

Lille are simply looking for more money for the defender than Newcastle seem to want to spend, and though he obviously wants to be here, the two clubs need to agree, too.

So now that Debuchy is off limits, here are four players who Newcastle could target instead to shore up the defence:

5 – Vurnon Anita

He may not be a full-time defender, but Vurnon Anita of Ajax is certainly capable of playing at left-back and in a defensive midfield role. His versatility in that sense is what makes him such an intriguing option for Newcastle. Anita would be great on the Newcastle bench, much like the equally versatile James Perch was last season, and would play a big role in the Europa League squad.

Grabbing Anita may not be so easy for Newcastle, though, as Ajax are desperate to keep him and have offered him a nice new deal to stay in the Netherlands.

4 – Sebastian Bassong

Sebastian Bassong was Newcastle’s player of the season in 2008-09, but was quick to jump ship as soon as they were relegated at the end of the campagin. A few years later, the defender’s career really hasn’t advanced as much as he would have liked, forcing Spurs to send him on loan to Wolves last season.

The Frenchman is still a talented player, but it may take a return to Tyneside to get the best out of him once again. This time round, Bassong would be sitting behind Steven Taylor and Fabricio Coloccini and would have to earn his place back in the team and in Newcastle fans’ hearts after leaving so abruptly before.

3 – Tobias Alderweireld

Ajax have themselves yet another versatile defender in Tobias Alderweireld, and in the same way, he’s another player Newcastle should be targeting. The Belgian can play anywhere along the back four, and shows promise to become a great player in the future. At only 23, he was 17 international caps, and would be a great player for Newcastle to add. Alderweireld could even earn a place in the starting line-up ahead of Danny Simpson if he plays to his best.

2 – Erik Pieters

Though it may not be the premier league in Europe, the Eredivisie evidently has a lot of talented defenders, as Erik Pieters is the third of four Eredivisie defenders on this list. Pieters seemed like a lock to end up in black and white a few months ago, but as the transfer window has regressed, rumours linking with the Toon have died down.

Now that Debuchy is all but lost, Newcastle should rekindle their interest in the PSV star, who already has an established international career and relationship fellow Dutchman Tim Krul.

1 – Douglas

He may not play the exact same position as Mathieu Debuchy, but centre-back Douglas Franco Teixeira would still provide a huge boost to Newcastle’s defence.

Douglas is an intimidating figure, who’s destined to have a future in the Brazilian national team, and it appears he’s using a move to the Premier League as a platform to prove himself.

He’s type of player that could challenge Steven Taylor for his place in the team, and if not could still be a big part of Newcastle’s future.