Hoffenheim midfielder Anton Stach has long been admired by Newcastle United, who may compete with Fulham and West Ham for his services in the summer.
This is in line with SportBild’s report that Stach is eager to join the Premier League and may fulfill his ambition through one of three channels at the end of the current campaign.
The twice-capped Germany international, who Hoffenheim just signed in the summer after Mainz left, is asking €15 million (£12.8 million).
If Hoffenheim fails to qualify for Europe, Stach might be moving for the second summer in a row. At the moment, they are six points short of the required spots in the Bundesliga standings.
Therefore, Newcastle might show new interest in him if he becomes available in the summer. Ultimately, they run the risk of losing Joelinton, a former player for Hoffenheim, later this year because his contract expires in 2025.
If Joelinton refuses to sign a contract extension, Newcastle may have to sell him. They may also be preparing for potential interest in Bruno Guimaraes.
If a spot opens up in their midfield, Stach could be the one to take it. He might, however, have other choices available to him.
For instance, West Ham has signed Kalvin Phillips on a temporary contract; but, a permanent agreement is uncertain.
Joao Palhinha, who plays for Fulham in London, will likely draw interest from other teams once more after falling short of joining Bayern Munich in the summer.
It’s uncertain at this point whether Palhinha’s transfer to Germany is still possible, but the Bundesliga might provide a successor.
Throughout his playing career, Stach has only played for German teams. He began with VfL Osnabruck II, which was at the bottom of the fifth division, and worked his way up to VfL Wolfsburg II, SSV Jedeloh, Greuther Furth, and Mainz in 2021, which was in the top division.
He made his senior international debut for Germany a year later, having previously represented them at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and at the under-21 level.
Full list of midfielders Newcastle rate revealed
So far, Stach has made 17 appearances for Hoffenheim, mostly as a defensive midfielder.
Due to summer signing Sandro Tonali’s ban, Newcastle was expecting to bolster that area in January, but no clear deal immediately stood out.
Even if Tonali will be eligible once more in the summer, Newcastle may decide to reconsider their engine room investment plans.
They have been considering other players, but Stach is one possible target.
For instance, The Athletic’s roundup reveals which midfielders have been catching their attention.
For the January transfer window, they are rumored to have scouted Amadou Onana of Everton, Philip Billing of Bournemouth, Scott McTominay of Manchester United, and Ederson of Atalanta.
Furthermore, they have long been monitoring Khephren Thuram of Nice, Manu Kone of Borussia Monchengladbach, and Amadou Haidara of RB Leipzig.
Closer to home, they also thought highly of Phillips before ruling themselves out for financial reasons and witnessing West Ham win the race. Other players they admire are Morgan Gibbs-White of Nottingham Forest, Jacob Ramsey of Aston Villa, and Conor Gallagher of Chelsea.
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