Newcastle and Liverpool Target Rayo's Andrei Ratiu
Newcastle United and Liverpool are circling Rayo Vallecano right-back Andrei Ratiu, with the Premier League rivals preparing for another clash in the market after a bruising summer encounter.
According to Marca, Eddie Howe has identified the Romania international as a key defensive target as he looks to bolster a back line that creaked under injuries and inconsistency last season. Newcastle want energy, versatility and aggression down the right. Ratiu ticks every box.
But so do Liverpool.
Newcastle’s revenge mission
The mood on Tyneside is still raw after Liverpool beat Newcastle to the signing of Spanish winger Victor Munoz earlier in the window. Newcastle believed they had that deal under control, only to see the Merseysiders swoop late and snatch the Osasuna attacker from their grasp.
That sting has not faded.
Ratiu now represents more than just a tactical upgrade. He is a chance to land a blow of their own, to flip the script on a rival that has already raided one of their targets.
Newcastle’s recruitment team have tracked the 28-year-old closely. Howe wants more depth and quality at full-back, and Ratiu offers both defensive reliability and attacking thrust. He can play as a conventional right-back or push higher as a winger, a profile that fits Newcastle’s desire for flexible, front-foot football.
A full-back built for modern football
Ratiu’s numbers from La Liga underline why the interest is growing. He produced four assists in 34 league games last season, having registered two goals and three assists in the same number of matches in the 2024-25 campaign.
Those returns are not eye-watering for a winger, but for a full-back they tell a clear story: he gets forward, he creates, and he sustains attacks. His dribbling and passing give him the confidence to step into the final third, while his willingness to intercept and engage defensively makes him more than just an adventurous runner on the flank.
It is that blend that has also drawn attention from Barcelona, who have taken note of his attacking output and positional versatility. When a club of that stature starts looking, the market tends to react.
Premier League queue forming
Newcastle and Liverpool are not alone. Nottingham Forest are also monitoring Ratiu’s situation, sensing an opportunity to bring a proven La Liga performer into a side that has often lacked stability at the back.
For Ratiu, the Premier League now feels like a realistic next step. At 28, he is in his prime, with enough experience to adapt quickly and enough athleticism to cope with the demands of English football. A move to England is firmly “on the cards,” as interest from multiple clubs gathers pace.
The question is where he lands.
Liverpool can offer the pull of regular European nights and a squad already packed with talent. Newcastle, by contrast, cannot lean on continental competition this coming season. That absence of European football at St James’ Park is a significant obstacle in a race where prestige and platform often decide the outcome.
Yet Newcastle can offer something different: the promise of being central to Howe’s rebuild, the chance to own that right flank, and the opportunity to become a defining figure in a side still on an upward curve.
Ratiu will not be short of options. The next decision he makes could reshape not just his own career, but the balance of power between two clubs still smarting from their last transfer confrontation.
