![\"Leonardo](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/leonardo-balerdi-eddie-howe-1140x641.jpg\")
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(Credit: Imago)<\/p>\n
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Sun 6 July 2025 11:53, UK <\/p>\n
Marseille will demand at least \u00a330million if they\u2019re to sell Leonardo Balerdi to Newcastle United this summer, sources have told Football Insider.<\/strong><\/p>\n Speaking on the latest edition of\u00a0Football Insider\u2019s Inside Track podcast<\/strong><\/a>, senior correspondent Pete O\u2019Rourke revealed what his sources have told him about Newcastle<\/a>\u2018s pursuit of the Argentine defender.<\/p>\n Newcastle are on the hunt for central defensive reinforcements this summer but have so far failed to make much progress in their bid to sign Crystal Palace\u2019s <\/a>Marc Guehi<\/a>, with Balerdi a possible alternative.<\/p>\n The Argentina international is Marseille<\/a>\u2018s captain and the Ligue 1 side are reluctant to lose Balerdi, and sources have told Football Insider<\/strong> that Newcastle would have to pay over \u00a330m in order to sign him.<\/p>\n Juventus are also keen on the 26-year-old despite spending \u00a320m to sign Lloyd Kelly from Newcastle on a permanent deal<\/a>, and Football Insider<\/strong> sources have said Marseille will do all they can to keep Balerdi.<\/p>\n Eddie Howe\u2019s desire to sign a new centre-back comes after Sven Botman\u2019s struggles with injury<\/a> and his starting pair of Dan Burn and Fabian Schar both turning 34 last term, with an injection of youth needed.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES<\/p>\n Atalanta\u2019s 21-year-old defender Giorgio Scalvini had emerged as Newcastle\u2019s top target<\/a> to remedy this, but both he and Guehi are expected to command transfer fees in the region of \u00a360m and beyond.<\/p>\n Speaking on the new Inside Track<\/a><\/strong>, O\u2019Rourke said that while Newcastle may only have to pay half that amount to sign Balerdi this summer, their bid to sign the Argentinian is by no means straightforward.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure it\u2019s totally advanced, that one, but he\u2019s a player who\u2019s on Newcastle\u2019s wanted list\u201d, he told Football Insider.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cEddie Howe would like to bring in centre back reinforcements \u2013 that\u2019s why Balerdi is one of the players that they are looking at. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a difficult deal to do; he\u2019s the Marseille captain, Marseille will be very reluctant to sell him \u2013\u00a0so it would take a big, big offer to try and convince Marseille.<\/p>\n \u201cNewcastle would have to pay \u00a330million plus, and Juventus are very much interested in him as well as they look to strengthen their back line.<\/p>\n \u201cIt won\u2019t be a straightforward race for Newcastle, and I think Marseille will do everything they can to keep hold of him.\u201d<\/p>\n Newcastle may have wrapped up two transfers this summer in Malaga\u2019s Antonio Cordero<\/a> and Vakhtang Salia from Dinamo Tbilisi<\/a>, but they\u2019re yet to complete the statement signing their fans are crying out for.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Lloyd-Kelly-Juventus-Cropped-1024x640.jpg\")
Photo Credit: IMAGONewcastle locked in convoluted Balerdi transfer chase<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Marc-Guehi-Newcastle\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Marc-Guehi-Newcastle-1-1024x576.png\")
Marc Guehi could cost Newcastle over \u00a370million this summer (Credit: Hasan Karim, Breaking Media)Newcastle need to re-rail turbulent transfer window<\/strong><\/p>\n