Newcastle Transfers: 10 Players Alan Pardew Must Sign Before Man City

2. Steven Caulker

Current Club: Cardiff City Position: Centre-Back Conceding 59 goals in the Premier League last season outlined the need for Pardew to improve the quality at the heart of a porous Newcastle rearguard and it comes as no surprise to see us linked with Caulker following Cardiff's relegation to the Championship. Despite the Bluebirds ending their inaugural season in the Premier League with the second worst defensive record in the division it was perceived that Caulker, on a personal level, had an encouraging campaign after weighing in with five goals and a turning in series of commanding performances following his £11 million switch from Tottenham the previous summer. Cardiff, like ourselves, were beacons for inconsistency in 2013/14 but the one-cap England international demonstrated himself to be a dominant centre-back with an eye for goal; which were characteristics considered to be essential by Pardew two years ago in his search for defensive reinforcements. It's likely what we'll sell one of Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and Steven Taylor this summer and with Caulker available for a knockdown £8m - due to a release clause written into his contract - we'd consider it sound business to trade either in to generate the funds to sign the 22-year-old. With the established status quo of Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson ticking over into their thirties it's imperative for Pardew to refresh his centre-back options this summer and Caulker ticks all the boxes on our recruitment blueprint. To our mind we'd rather see Taylor sold and Yanga-Mbiwa given the opportunity to cultivate an understanding with Caulker and forge a partnership that could be cornerstone of our back-four for the next decade.