Newcastle United's torrid luck with injuries so far this season has taken another turn for the worse after defender Sven Botman was ruled out for up to nine months.
The 24-year-old originally injured his knee in the game against Brentford back in September, with the Dutchman and the club deciding against surgery with the defender sitting out until mid-December in the hope the injury would heal itself.
However, it was unsuccessful, with his latest scan confirming he'd torn his ACL, and it would require surgery, with the former Lille defender potentially missing the remainder of 2024.
His injury leaves Eddie Howe's side light in the centre-back department, with Fabian Schar, Dan Burn and Jamaal Lascelles the only three senior central defenders at his disposal.
The extent of the injury means the Magpies may have to look for reinforcements in the summer window, with the club needing to target one player to fill the void left by Botman.
The man Newcastle need to sign this summer
Despite the club's huge investment of over £450m in the last couple of years, the club have always struggled for depth at centre-back.
Howe and the hierarchy should look to combat this by signing Juventus' Brazilian centre-back Gleison Bremer. The 27-year-old has excelled in Italy since his move from fellow Serie A side Torino back in 2022 and has been linked with a move to the Toon in recent days via reports in Italy.
He initially joined Juve for £35m, with his performances for the Old Lady catching the eye of multiple sides all over Europe, with the likes of Manchester United and Inter Milan previously interested in signing him.
Bremer has been brilliant at the heart of Massimiliano Allegri's defence, with the Brazilian featuring for 90 minutes in every game he's been available for – barring one game where he was suspended.
His good form in Italy this season has seen the former Torino defender receive a call-up to the Brazilian national setup for the friendlies against England and Spain over the next couple of weeks.
He certainly wouldn't be a cheap addition, with the "incredible" defender, as dubbed by Italian football expert Conor Clancy, potentially set to cost in the region of £43m. That said, he would certainly improve the Magpies' defence tenfold.
Botman v Bremer this season
When comparing the stats between the two central defenders during the 2023/24 campaign, it's clear that Bremer is a great talent and one that Newcastle should go all out for in the summer.
The Brazilian is dominant in all areas, with the 27-year-old's tally of 2.9 aerials won per game clear of that of Botman, who can only manage 2.2.
Defensively, the Juventus defender is much more well-rounded than the Dutchman, with Bremer averaging more tackles than the Magpies' number four.
Aerials won
2.2
2.9
Tackles
1.3
1.8
Interceptions
0.6
1.3
Successful take-ons
0
0.3
Progressive passes
2.3
3.2
Given the stats in the table, it's clear that the Brazilian is able to read the game more, with his tally of 1.3 interceptions per game more than double Botman's, with the 24-year-old trailing with only 0.6.
Despite averaging a better pass percentage, Bremer's tally of 3.2 progressive passes reflects that the Juve centre-back likes to play forward more than Botman, with the Magpies defender unable to get close to his tally.
Bremer certainly possesses a lot of qualities that would be of use to Newcastle boss Howe, with the 46-year-old needing to make the 27-year-old his top target this summer to cover for Botman and eventually partner the Dutchman when he returns from his long-term injury layoff.
