This century, the idea that a player would rather join Newcastle United over Manchester United is laughable.

The Magpies had to endure a painful tenure under the damaging ownership of Mike Ashley that eventually culminated in relegation.

Rafa Benitez led the club back to promotion but the failure to keep the Spaniard and replace him with Steve Bruce was viewed as another grave error.

But, under the new ownership and the stewardship of Eddie Howe, Newcastle have been transformed from an uninspiring and toxic setup that would be lucky to stay in the top flight and into a vastly attractive and competitive side, that now finds itself in Europe’s most elite competition.

The new era incorporates a more confident and proactive board, who possess the financial muscle and an appealing project to convince a different calibre of player to Saint James Park.

One man who is constantly linked to Newcastle and could opt to join the Tyneside Giant over United is Axel Disasi.

What’s the latest on Axel Disasi to Newcastle United?

According to Foot Mercato, Newcastle could be set to overtake the Red Devils in the race for Disasi.

Last month, it was reported the 2023 Carabao Cup winners were on the verge of completing a deal for the 25-year-old. The player’s brother had even visited the club’s facilities in the spring and mentioned the possibility of the defender arriving in the summer.

However, Newcastle have accelerated their attempts to sign Disasi and has submitted a contractual offer to his representatives as part of talks between the parties.

The outlet also details that Monaco is hoping to acquire a fee of around €40 (£34m) for the centre-back, whose contract expires in 2025.

Would Axel Disasi be a good signing for Newcastle?

The £12k-per-week titan has played for Monaco since 2020 and established himself as one of France’s most reliable and sought-after defenders.

Last campaign, Disasi started every Ligue 1 game but one and made his international debut at the 2022 World Cup to become the first Frenchman to make play his first game for Les Blues at this tournament since 1966.

In a recent interview, the 6 foot 3 star outlined his strengths, saying: “My size is an advantage, I am comfortable in the air and in my sense of anticipation.

“I also try to play the ball out from the back cleanly, to have fun on the pitch and above all to follow the coach's instructions. I'm a player who works for the team and I hope to bring my defensive strength to bear.”

His attributes and style of play have earnt comparisons to Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo.

Both players are extremely competent ball carriers, with Disasi slightly outranking the Uruguayan for progressive passes per 90 (4.58 vs 3.89), progressive carries per 90 (1.70 vs 1.40), and successful take-ons per 90 (0.57 vs 0.52).

For context, all these numbers mean both players rank within the best 12% in Europe’s top five leagues among their positional peers for all metrics.

Then defensively, Disasi scores better than Araujo for interceptions per 90 (1.87 vs 0.52), clearances per 90 (2.95 vs 1.92), and aerials won per 90 (2.54 vs 2.14).

Described as “complete” by Jacek Kulig, Disasi looks ready for a move to the Premier League.