Newcastle United have been linked with a move for Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar in recent times, with the Slovakia international yet to commit his future to the San Siro outfit.

What's the word?

Recent reports in Italy have suggested that Magpies sporting director Dan Ashworth is eyeing a move for the 27-year-old in 2023, with the centre-back having just six months remaining on his existing deal in Italy.

That has ensured that the Tynesiders could well strike a pre-contract agreement ahead of the summer or secure a cut-price deal next month, albeit with Newcastle set to face competition from the Premier League's elite.

Amid that interest in the 58-cap brute from those at St James' Park, journalist Pete O'Rourke has suggested that the 6 foot 2 ace is a player whom Ashworth and co would be keen to acquire.

The transfer insider told GIVEMESPORT: “If they were to go on and clinch a place in next season’s Champions League, it will only boost their chances of signing players such as Skriniar.

“He’s out of contract in the summer, so if he doesn’t agree a new deal at Inter Milan, I’m sure Newcastle would love the opportunity to try and bring him to St James’ Park.”

Big Schar upgrade

The former Sampdoria ace - who has racked up 236 appearances for his current club - would seemingly be a real coup as far as Eddie Howe's side are concerned, with the highly-rated "monster", as described by journalist Carlo Garganese, having been a rock-solid presence for the Nerazzurri in recent years.

The imposing titan has notably kept four clean sheets from his 15 league outings so far this season, while also averaging 1.4 tackles per game as a marker of his defensive prowess, having previously been dubbed an "absolute beast" by journalist David Amoyal.

It is the defender's quality in possession which has particularly caught the eye of late, though, with that trait likely to see him prove a notable upgrade on current Newcastle centre-back Fabian Schar.

Although the Switzerland international has formed part of a backline which has shipped just 11 goals this season under Howe - the joint-best record in the Premier League - the 30-year-old has been something of a liability due to his weakness on the ball.

That is evidenced by the former Deportivo La Coruna man ranking in the bottom 3% of positional peers in Europe's top five leagues for pass completion, while the experienced defender has an average passing accuracy rate of just 76% in the league this term.

By contrast, Skriniar appears to be something of a master with the ball at his feet as he ranks in the top 4% for pass completion among defenders at the highest level in Europe. The £92k-per-week maestro has also shone in that regard in the early months of the current campaign after recording an average pass accuracy rate of 92%.

For a club seemingly harbouring ambitions of clinching Champions League qualification, the addition of a quality, ball-playing asset such as the Inter defender could well be just what Newcastle need, with Schar's struggles in playing out from the back potentially set to prove costly.