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Newcastle are reportedly eyeing a move for Martin Skrtel, who will become a free agent this summer.

What’s the story?

According to Turkish outlet Fotospor, both the Magpies and Serie A side Parma want to sign the Fenerbahce defender.

Rafael Benitez brought the 34 year-old to the Premier League for Liverpool, and has been credited with interest multiple times since arriving on Tyneside.

The Magpies already have five solid options in the heart of defence, but Florian Lejeune’s unfortunate injury problems could open the door for Skrtel.

Lejeune cover

If truth be told, Benitez’s fondness for Skrtel is quite bizarre, as the Slovakian international was never that good at Anfield, and is half that player now.

However, with Lejeune suffering a second serious knee injury in as many seasons since his arrival, the manager is perhaps just stocking up his reserves ahead of a long campaign.

The Magpies need reinforcements up front, at full-back and in central midfield, and regardless of whether there is a takeover or not, these moves will likely zap up the entire transfer budget.

With that in mind, a free swoop for Skrtel makes a lot of sense if there are fears over Lejeune’s ability to recover from a second major knee surgery.