Newcastle United, Manchester United, Swansea City and Aston Villa look set to do battle for highly-rated Barnsley defender Mason Holgate. The Sun (paywall) claim that the Premier League rivals are looking to bring the League One defender to the top flight due to the fact he has just a year left on his contract. It is believed the 18-year-old, who has even been training with Man Utd's Under-21 side ahead of a potential move, would be available for £1 million. Although primarily utilised as a right-back, Holgate is capable of playing in the centre of defence and that versatility is the sort of attribute Newcastle are looking to add to their defence. Also, the fact Holgate is a young Englishman - he was born in Doncaster - is something that will appeal to the Magpies, who are trying to hijack the Red Devils' move for the defender at the 11th hour. During the 2014-15 campaign, when Holgate made his debut, the defender appeared 22 times in all competitions, netting once. As well as the four Premier League clubs linked with him this weekend, Holgate has also attracted interest from the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the past. For all the latest NUFC News, Views and Transfers make sure to follow whatculture.com/NUFC on Twitter and Facebook.
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
