Newcastle United take on Marseille in the Champions League on Tuesday evening
When Newcastle United take on Marseille at the Stade Velodrome on Tuesday evening, the French side will have one player in their ranks who could have been lining up for the Magpies in different circumstances.
As the Magpies scoured the summer transfer market for a new centre-half, their search ultimately saw them land on AC Milan’s Malick Thiaw.
Thiaw made the move to Tyneside for £34.6million and has quickly established himself as a fan favourite at St James’ Park after making a seamless transition to life in the Premier League.
But the German international defender was not the only centre-half linked with a move to Newcastle in the summer.
In fact, Marseille defender Leonardo Balerdi was heavily linked with a £35million move in the summer after impressing for the French side under the management of Roberto De Zerbi.
The 26-year-old Argentina international also drew some enquiries from Juventus in the summer, having worked with their former coach Igor Tudor at Marseille, and he was a man heavily in demand.
As it transpired, he remained with Les Olympiens and both Newcastle and Juventus moved on to other targets. So the motivation is clear for Balerdi to prove Newcastle wrong.
The Magpies head to France with nine points out of a possible 12, while Marseille have just three points to their name after four matches.
Should Newcastle win, they will strengthen their grip on a top eight place. Should Marseille win, they will move to within three points of the Magpies in the table and United will be dragged back into the pack of teams hovering around the play-off spots.
Newcastle will hope Balerdi does not return to haunt them on Tuesday evening.
Watch Marseille vs Newcastle on TNT Sports
Newcastle United continue their UEFA Champions League campaign as they take on Marseille in France on November 25. Fans can watch the game on the TNT Sports Prime Video channel.
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