Newcastle United are tracking Lecce defender Tiago Gabriel but have not yet moved beyond making initial checks, according to a report by the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope.
Hope reported that Newcastle “have scouted Lecce’s Tiago Gabriel, a 21-year-old centre back,” but added that the club are “yet to follow up on those checks” as things stand.
Hope wrote that the scouting forms part of a wider assessment at centre back as Newcastle manage several injury situations, including Fabian Schar’s, late in the season.
“With the campaign finishing at Fulham on May 24, the 34-year-old has the incentive of returning to feature during the run-in,” Hope wrote, after Schar injured ankle ligaments against Leeds in MD 21.
Hope also reported that Jamaal Lascelles has “almost certainly played his last game for Newcastle” as the club captain looks for a move away from St James’ Park. According to Hope, Lascelles is “currently looking for another club,” with West Ham named as “one option being explored.”
The report framed Newcastle’s interest in Gabriel as monitoring rather than an active pursuit, with no indication yet of talks or a formal approach.
