Newcastle is thinking of making an unexpected bid for the Al-Ittihad star.

Newcastle has reportedly questioned about Al-Ittihad defender Luiz Felipe and is thinking of placing a bid, according to UOLesporte in Brazil.

The centre back, who was born in Brazil, only moved to Al-Ittihad from Real Betis in Spain last summer for a reported €22 million. Felipe is primarily known for his tenure at Lazio, where he played a key role for the team from 2017 to 2022, amassing 106 Serie A appearances. Many of the European players who signed summer contracts with Saudi Arabian teams have struggled to fit in with the league and culture. After Jordan Henderson left the league after just six months, many of them are now keen to leave and go back to European football. Felipe, who is only 27 years old, is another person who might be yearning for a fresh challenge, but he is still quite capable.

The club may be considering adding even more depth to the backline while we anxiously await word on Marc Guehi, our current top target for the right centre-back position. We used Emil Krafth at centre half a lot in the conclusion of the previous season due to Lascelles’ ongoing injury problems, so it would be prudent to add even more depth to the position than merely Guehi. Felipe would now be an astute piece of business given our clear ties to the Saudi league, lack of defensive cover, and Marc Guehi’s pending deal. But given the expense of a decent right winger, I do worry if we can afford to spend a lot of money on two centre backs for PSR reasons.