According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle are interested in landing Croatian defender Jozo Simunovic from Celtic this summer.

What’s the Word?

After nearly leaving Parkhead last summer, 22-year-old Simunovic impressed and significantly improved under Brendan Rodgers and is now being chased by a number of club around Europe, including a trio of Premier League clubs.

Reports suggest that Newcastle along with Burnley and Huddersfield are keen on landing the Croatian as they all look to establish themselves in the Premier League this upcoming season. However, it is thought that Celtic will accept no less than £8million for the man that nearly left the club this time last year.

How good was Simunovic last season?

After a debut season to forget in a Celtic shirt, the 6ft3 defender improved immensely during his second campaign in Scotland, Simunovic made 29 appearances and was highly impressive, with fantastic aerial ability and the confidence to bring the ball out from the back.

There is no question that the 22-year-old still has plenty to improve upon, most notably his confidence. However, if he is given time to establish himself in the Premier League, it will not be long before he flourishes on the biggest stage in the world.

Where is Simunovic likely to end up?

With Spartak Moscow, Newcastle, Burnley and Huddersfield all interested in landing the imposing Croatian, Simunovic has a number of options to choose from this summer.

However, Huddersfield and Burnley may consider their budgets too tight to risk spending £8million on a relatively untested player. It is more likely that Newcastle and Spartak Moscow will battle it out to land a player who has yet to receive an international call-up.

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