According to CaughtOffside, Newcastle United are ‘closely monitoring’ the situation of Leicester City centre-back Wout Faes.
Fabian Schar and Dan Burn’s contracts expire in 2025, with Newcastle reportedly undecided on whether to offer them contract extensions or move on to other targets. Should the centre-back duo be released, the Magpies will look to sign Faes and make a move for Nottingham Forest’s Nikola Milenkovic. Leicester City will demand a fee upwards of £30 million for the Belgium international.
The 26-year-old has become an integral member of the Foxes’ backline and has started in all seven of Leicester’s league games this season. Faes inspired Leicester to their first victory of the season against Bournemouth and has had a good international break so far, playing the full 90 minutes in both of Belgium’s UEFA Nations League fixtures.
Juventus are also monitoring Wout Faes
Newcastle are not the only club showing interest in the Foxes defender. The Cult of Calcio reported that Juventus’ director of football, Cristiano Giuntoli, attended the match. Faes was said to be one of the players the Italian was scouting. With key defender Gleison Bremer recovering from an ACL surgery, Juventus are searching for a centre-back and may make a move for Faes in the January window. The defender was said to be seeking a move away from the club earlier this season but is reportedly happy at Leicester currently.
Losing Faes would be a big blow for Leicester. The 26-year-old joined the Foxes as Wesley Fofana’s replacement in 2022. Leicester paid Reims a reported £13 million for the defender, and Faes has become a mainstay in the Foxes’ backline. Although Faes is notorious for his lapses in concentration, the centre-back is largely solid and has shown improvement in his game over the past few months.
Faes’ contract runs out in 2027, and Leicester should look to open talks with an improved salary soon if they want to keep the Belgian at the club.