Mitchel Bakker: Newcastle United in talks with Bayern Leverkusen over deal for left-back

Newcastle United are in talks with Bayer Leverkusen over a deal for left-back Mitchel Bakker.

The 21-year-old is available for around £16m, providing Leverkusen can find a replacement.

Newcastle have been trying to recruit in that position throughout the January transfer window, but negotiations for Bakker could continue until Deadline Day.

Bakker started his career at Ajax and made his debut for the club in 2018, before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2019.

He made 45 appearances for PSG before moving to Leverkusen last year, where he has scored one goal and registered three assists in 13 Bundesliga appearances so far this season.

Newcastle have agreed a fee with Lyon in the region of £30m to sign midfielder Bruno Guimaraes and are also targeting a deal to sign Brighton defender Dan Burn.

It is understood Brazil international Guimaraes was set to undergo a medical in his homeland on Wednesday. However, Lyon have released a statement denying an agreement has been reached.

A statement said: “Olympique Lyonnais categorically denies the false information disseminated by many media reporting an agreement between Newcastle and OL for the transfer of Brazilian international midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.

“In this transfer window period where the slightest rumour is often presented as reality, Olympique Lyonnais reminds that only information officially released by the club is to be taken into consideration.”

It is not the first time Lyon have issued such a denial over a transfer. In 2019, the club denied they had agreed to sell Ferland Mendy to Real Madrid. Eight days later, the left-back completed a move to the Bernabeu.

Newcastle also want to sign Brighton’s Burn, with one source telling Sky Sports News they have already made a £7m bid.

Burn – a boyhood Newcastle fan born in nearby Blyth – is now a top target with less than seven days left of the window.

The 29-year-old has entered the final 18 months of his Brighton contract. The 6ft 7in defender, who joined Brighton from Wigan in 2018, can also play left-back.