Newcastle are interested in Watford defender Christian Kabasele, according to French outlet Le10sport.

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It is being reported that the Hornets are keen on extending the 28-year-old's contract, which currently expires in 2021, but there is significant interest from elsewhere.

As well as Newcastle, Manchester United, Arsenal and West Ham are all thought to be keen on the centre-back, which means the Magpies could face a transfer battle.

No fee has been alluded to as yet but considering he has 18 months left on his contract and is rated at £7.2m by Transfermarkt, it is possible the north-east outfit could strike a bargain deal.

Much-needed reinforcement

Newcastle pursuing a move for Kabasele is exactly what Steve Bruce needs to do right now, and the Belgian would tick a lot of boxes for his side.

Most importantly, he would strengthen his options at centre-back which have been ravaged by injury in recent weeks. In fact, of the six defenders at the club who are capable of playing in a central role, only Federico Fernandez hasn't been affected by injury this season.

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Paul Dummett was forced off against Wolves last weekend to add to a list of defensive casualties which includes Jamaal Lascelles, Fabian Schar and Javier Manquillo, with others likes Florian Lejeune and Ciaran Clark limited to four and ten league appearances respectively.

Kabasele has been in and out of the Watford team too this season but still has made 16 appearances, and become a key part of Nigel Pearson's rejuvenated side, featuring in three of the Hornets' last four wins.

In total, he has made 88 appearances for the Hertfordshire outfit, which underlines his experience in England, and although the fact he turns 29 in February could be a deterrent, it might mean that he is available for a cheaper price as a result.

Meanwhile, things have been kicking off on Twitter as two former Newcastle players have come head-to-head due to their conflicting opinions over one man at the club.