It has been a frantic summer window for both Newcastle United and Aston Villa, with each club navigating significant squad upheaval heading into the new season.
Aston Villa have moved swiftly under Unai Emery, bringing in Johan Manzambi, Joao Gomes and Alejandro Garnacho to cover the departures of Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers.
Newcastle have found the market tougher to navigate and have so far struggled to land all of their primary targets during the transfer window.
Both clubs are now pursuing the same player, with James Tavernier emerging as a shared target for the Premier League pair this summer.
The former Rangers captain left Ibrox at the end of last season and remains a free agent, attracting considerable interest from multiple clubs across different leagues.
Tavernier’s record at Rangers speaks for itself, having registered 144 goals and 148 assists across 565 appearances while winning the Scottish Premiership, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup.
At 34 years old, the veteran right-back delivered 292 goal involvements during a legendary spell in Scotland that will be extremely difficult for Rangers to replace.
According to TeamTalk, both Aston Villa and Newcastle have launched approaches for Tavernier as they look to hijack a move from MLS side Charlotte FC, who are reportedly in pole position.
Tavernier is said to be leaning towards an MLS switch at this stage of his career, though the two Premier League clubs have not given up their pursuit of his signature.
For Newcastle, the appeal of signing Tavernier is clear, with the club seeking cover and competition following Kieran Trippier’s departure and uncertainty surrounding Tino Livramento’s future at the club.
The situation is less pressing for Aston Villa, who can call upon Matty Cash and young defender Kosta Nedeljkovic, meaning Tavernier would represent an experienced addition to their squad.
Elsewhere, Newcastle have been working on midfield reinforcements, already securing the signing of Aladji Bamba from AS Monaco ahead of Bruno Guimaraes’ expected departure.
The Magpies have also made contact to sign Botafogo midfielder Danilo, who carries a release clause reportedly worth just €20m, equivalent to around £17m.