Daniel van Buyten claims he has held talks with Newcastle United.
Daniel van Buyten claims he has held talks with Newcastle United.The 27-year-old, who spent time with Manchester City in 2004, is currently in Germany with Hamburg and has three years left on his contract after joining from Marseille last summer.
Newcastle were interested in the Belgian last summer, before he joined Hamburg, and now they are ready to make a fresh move.
Van Buyten even insists he has already held talks with Newcastle boss Graeme Souness.
"I have spoken to Graeme Souness and he said that he wants me and five or six others," said van Buyten.
"He [Souness] said that he wants to rebuild and that next season Newcastle are going for the Champions League at least. He also said that Newcastle will even try for the Premier League title.
"He told me that I will play alongside Jean-Alain Boumsong and that Boumsong already knows.
"I do not know yet if I will even leave Hamburg but they are not in Europe next season and I want to play in the Champions League, that is my ambition."
One problem for Newcastle could be interest from other clubs and Werder Bremen - who clinched a UEFA Champions League place on the last day of the German championship - are keen.
Werder are set to lose Valerien Ismael to Bayern Munich and need a commanding centre back to replace him, and van Buyten is one player they are considering.
