Two of Newcastle's Transfer Targets Set to Move on Before the End of the European Transfer Window

Two of the defenders Newcastle United were said to be pursuing earlier this summer are now set to be moving on at the end of the European transfer window.

Rafa Benitez reportedly instructed the Newcastle board that the club needed to prioritise defensive reinforcements and identified Barcelona's Marlon Santos and Liverpool's Ragnar Klavan as two potential signings. Instead, the Magpies left it until the last minute to secure a £6m deal for Swansea City's Federico Fernandez.

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It epitomised a disappointing summer which saw Newcastle end up making a £20m profit in the transfer market - something that unsurprisingly upset supporters.

Now, according to multiple reports, both Santos and Klavan could be on their way out of their respective clubs before the end of the transfer window, suggesting that Newcastle could have secured deals for both players.

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According to Sport, Schalke are preparing a £13.5m move for Santos which could be a bargain given the current inflated market. 

In addition to this, the Liverpool Echo are suggesting that Ragnar Klavan could still be on the move this summer as he seeks to secure more first team football away from Liverpool. 

Klavan is unlikely to feature at all for the Reds this season unless there are any injury crises at Anfield, so his stance on moving is understandable.

The only silver lining to both failed signings is that Newcastle were able to at least sign someone in the shape of Fernandez. Given the fact that Florian Lejeune is set to miss the entirety of the season through injury, it was imperative that they brought in someone to fill his boots.