Newcastle United Transfers: 8 Players Benitez Must Sign This Summer
6. Calum Chambers
Middlesbrough endured a dismal 2016-17 campaign, but this had little to do with their backline, who conceded a respectable 53 goals across the season's 38 games. Not the most impressive record in the world, but had the club's attackers matched that level of performance, Boro would have likely found themselves in a safe midtable position at the end of the campaign.
Arsenal loanee Calum Chambers was a key component in this, and there's now talk that the 22-year-old could move on from the Emirates. He's set to be Arsenal's fifth choice centre-back behind Laurent Koscielny, Rob Holding, Per Mertesacker, and Shkodran Mustafi, and with Everton and Southampton reportedly sniffing around, Newcastle should absolutely join the hunt.
Chambers primarily played through the middle at Boro, though he's just as capable at right-back. Newcastle are short-handed in both positions, and still need to shore up their defensive solidity ahead of the Premier League campaign, despite Florian Lejeune's arrival. These factors should make Chambers a no-brainer, and if he's available at a decent fee, Benitez should be on the phone to Arsene Wenger as soon as possible.