It would seem that Newcastle United are hedging their bets despite reports that a move for Malick Thiaw is in the offing.
Newcastle desperately need a centre-back with that and a right winger being the priority for the Toon this summer.
German defender Malick Thiaw looks to be the most likely addition this summer as Ben Jacobs told NUFC Matters that he expects the Magpies to make a formal offer very soon.
However, GiveMeSport are now saying that Newcastle are about to join West Ham (it's them again) in the race for Chelsea's £30m-rated defender Trevoh Chalobah.
This is far from the first time that Newcastle have been linked to Chalobah so it is evident that somebody at the club really likes him, with reports surfacing last year about the Magpies keeping tabs on him.
The 25-year-old is facing an uncertain future at Chelsea and West Ham and Newcastle are reportedly poised to clarify his situation by offering him a way out.
Chalobah has been left behind while Chelsea travel to the United States for a pre-season tour strongly suggesting that his future lies away from Stamford Bridge.
It has felt like Chelsea have been trying to push the former England U21 out of the door for a while and by leaving him behind they have sent him a very clear message.
As we reported earlier, both West Ham and Newcastle appear to be fishing in the same pond for defenders with both clubs keen on Fikayo Tomori and Jean-Clair Todibo as well as Chalobah.
As Newcastle are reportedly closing in on Malick Thiaw we're not putting much stock in the Chalobah rumours, but should that bid fail, this one could well happen ahead of Tomori or Todibo.