Newcastle and Liverpool in Transfer Battle for Andrei Ratiu

Newcastle United and Liverpool are on a collision course in the market again, this time over Rayo Vallecano right-back Andrei Ratiu, with Nottingham Forest and even Barcelona watching closely.

Marca report that Newcastle are tracking the Romania international as Eddie Howe looks to bolster his defence at St James’ Park. The need is clear: Newcastle’s back line has been stretched, and Howe wants energy, versatility and reliability on that right flank.

Ratiu ticks those boxes. He delivered four assists in 34 La Liga appearances last season, having produced two goals and three assists in the same number of league games in 2024-25. Those numbers, from full-back, explain why so many clubs have circled.

The 28-year-old is far more than a stay-at-home defender. Ratiu is comfortable stepping higher up the pitch, operating as a winger when required, using sharp dribbling and crisp passing to drive his team forward. His attacking instincts have not gone unnoticed at Barcelona, where his ability to break lines and contribute in the final third has put him on their radar.

Yet he is not just a luxury player. Ratiu relishes interceptions and defensive duels, with his work without the ball forming a major part of his appeal. That blend of aggression, recovery pace and attacking output is exactly the profile Premier League clubs now chase.

Newcastle, though, carry some scars into this race. Earlier in the summer they believed they had secured a deal for Osasuna winger Victor Munoz, only for Liverpool to swoop in and hijack the transfer at the last moment. It was a brutal reminder of the power Liverpool still wield in the market.

That sting adds an edge to this pursuit. Newcastle will be desperate to turn the tables and beat Liverpool to Ratiu, a small measure of revenge in a window where margins are thin and reputations matter. Forest, lurking in the background, add another layer of competition, sensing that a player of Ratiu’s profile could transform their right side.

One problem for Newcastle is obvious. There is no European football at St James’ Park next season. For a player entering what should be the peak years of his career, the lure of continental competition with Liverpool or potentially Barcelona could prove decisive.

Ratiu’s next move will say plenty about his priorities: a starring role in a rebuilding project under Howe, a fight for a place in a Champions League-chasing Liverpool squad, or a bold leap into the technical demands of Barcelona and La Liga’s elite.