According to reports in The Telegraph, Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez wants to sign five new players before the transfer window slams shut at the end of this month.

The Telegraph says that one of the new additions could be Legia Warsaw centre-back Michal Pazdan, who has also been a target Premier League rivals West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace in the past following an impressive Euro 2016 campaign with Poland.

The report says that the Magpies would have to pay around £3m to bring the 29-year-old to St James’ Park, and he would follow the likes of Florian Lejeune, Jacob Murphy, Christian Atsu, Javier Manquillo and Mikel Merino to the club if a move does go through.

Having lost 2-0 in their opening Premier League clash at home to Tottenham Hotspur and having lost Lejeune and Paul Dummett to injury during the first-half, the addition of the Polish defender could be even more important.

Here are three reasons Newcastle target Pazdan can boost their survival bid…

Defensive abilities/Experience

Pazdan may have only made two appearances for Legia Warsaw during their 2016/17 Champions League campaign, but he certainly showed what he was all about when he was on the pitch.

The defender made nine clearances and five interceptions across those two outings, while he also won two tackles and showed his strength in the air by successfully winning the one headed duel he faced.

While he may not have played outside of the Polish league before, the 29-year-old would arrive at St James’ Park with plenty of experience and with 26 caps for his country, and he was a key player in the side that drew 0-0 with Germany at the 2016 European Championships.

Desire

While he was taken as part of the squad to Euro 2008, Pazdan didn’t really make his mark in a Poland shirt until a match against the Republic of Ireland in 2013, when he left his mark on forward Jonathan Walters with a high challenge.

It was a sign of the defender’s mentality and his determination to win the ball for his team, and that could prove to be a very useful tool for Newcastle this season.

While they certainly don’t need anyone who could replicate what Jonjo Shelvey did against Tottenham at the weekend, Pazdan is an experienced performer and his desire and leadership could be needed in what is a relatively inexperienced squad at this level.

Cult hero

According to reports in The Guardian during the Euro 2016 tournament, Pazdan was seen as a “cult hero” for Poland during his country’s campaign and the Polish fans were even prepared to shave their heads to have a similar look to the 29-year-old.

Of course, we know that Newcastle fans love a cult hero at St James’ Park and if the defender could galvanise those already passionate supporters then the home crowd could prove to be vital in the side’s bid to avoid being involved in a relegation battle in the Premier League this season.

Do you agree, Magpies fans? Let us know below.