Borussia Dortmund midfielder Julian Brandt is set to become a free agent this summer, with multiple clubs monitoring his situation ahead of the transfer window.
According to Sky Sports Deutschland’s Patrick Berger, Arsenal and Barcelona are both interested in the 29-year-old, who is expected to leave the Bundesliga at the expiration of his contract.
According to TeamTalk, however, Newcastle United might already be leading the race to land the Germany international. TeamTalk reported that the Magpies are “in contact” and having talks over a potential deal after an approach from Brandt’s own agent, with Aston Villa also informed of his upcoming availability on the free-agent market.
Brandt, for one, is helping fuel the rumors as he’s not opened formal talks with any club after it was confirmed he’d leave BVB in July, having reportedly turned down approaches from the Premier League in January as he keeps exploring all options.
Brandt has ample Champions League experience and comes with great positional versatility, having operated both centrally and deep, and also in advanced, wide positions.
For Newcastle, whose summer budget may hinge on an unlikely European qualification and their own potential sales, a free transfer would represent a low-fee addition with top-level pedigree.
No agreement has been reached, and interest from Arsenal and Barcelona surely makes this report look more like a dream than a reality, but we’ll see how things develop over the next few months and whether or not NUFC could trump behemoths such as the Gunners and the Catalans on their way to landing Brandt.
