Newcastle Tracking £6.7 Million Ajax Defender as Fabian Schar Replacement

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - SEPTEMBER 5: Aaron Bouwman of Ajax disappointed during the Dutch Eredivisie match between Ajax v PSV at the Johan Cruijff Arena on September 5, 2026 in Amsterdam Netherlands (Photo by Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images) | Getty Images Newcastle United has already begun plan

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Newcastle United has already begun planning for the next phase of its defensive rebuild, with Fabian Schar approaching the latter stages of his career and sporting director Ross Wilson assessing younger center-back options for future transfer windows.

According to The Chronicle Live’s Lee Ryder, Newcastle has been keeping tabs on Ajax defender Aaron Bouwman, whose name has also been put to the club by intermediaries. The 19-year-old stands 6-foot-6 and shares the same agency as Matthias Jaissle.

Ryder

reported that Newcastle had been monitoring Bouwman before the teenager suffered a serious injury during Ajax’s 3-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven last month.

“Aaron Bouwman will not be in action again during the month of September,” Ajax said at the time. “Examinations showed that Bouwman suffered several injuries, including bruising to his sternum and a bruised lung.”

Bouwman is expected back during October after recovering from the lung issue, with Newcastle scouts set to resume monitoring his progress. Chelsea is also believed to be interested.

Ryder reported that Bouwman is valued at around £6.7 million and remains on a broader list of young players Newcastle is tracking ahead of the January and summer 2027 windows.

The interest fits the club’s current recruitment direction under Wilson, who recently led a scouting summit on Tyneside after the departures of Steve Nickson and Andy Howe.

Schar signed a one-year extension earlier this year but turns 35 in December, making the search for a younger right-sided center-back increasingly relevant. Dan Burn is also in the later stages of his career, while Sven Botman and Malick Thiaw provide younger options already in the squad.

Would Bouwman be the type of high-upside defensive signing Newcastle should pursue early, or should the club target a more established successor to Schar? Share your thoughts in the comments.