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Newcastle could be about to bring in their own equivalent of Chelsea's Jordan Henderson this summer.

Chelsea's call to sign 36-year-old Jordan Henderson earlier in the summer left many armchair analysts wondering what exactly the Blues were thinking. However, the reasoning behind it was sound.

Before Henderson arrived at Stamford Bridge, 28-year-old goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was the oldest player in an especially young squad.

Across the last few seasons, many have felt Chelsea were short of oversight, authority in the dressing room and leadership, including new boss Xabi Alonso.

Newcastle United now appear to be at a similar point after losing important figures from the dressing room.

New head coach Matthias Jaissle is already well into preparations for his first Premier League season, but his squad is still a work in progress.

According to reports in France, Newcastle are intensifying their interest in Marseille midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg - a move which, if it goes through, may surprise some people in much the same way Henderson's switch to Chelsea did.

The 31-year-old Denmark international is a very different fit in terms of age compared to Newcastle's other summer recruitment, which has focused on youth through arrivals such as 18-year-old Sean Steur and 20-year-old Aladji Bamba.

But with the squad now suddenly short on experience, the value of bringing in someone like Hojbjerg is clear.

Newcastle need to add leadership in the dressing room, and quickly. Their coach is among the youngest managers in the division, the club have reluctantly sold their captain, and their vice-captain had reached the end of his effective Premier League lifespan.

Bruno Guimaraes sealed a £75m move to Arsenal last week, Kieran Trippier left at the start of the summer, and Italy international Sandro Tonali departed for Tottenham. In one stroke, Newcastle have lost the core of their team.

Jaissle's squad has talent, but it currently lacks natural leaders, and with the club going through a period of transition, Newcastle need as much guidance as they can get.

That is why, at least on paper, Hojbjerg makes sense as a summer signing. With 254 Premier League appearances from his time at Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur, the Denmark captain is widely seen as a model professional.

Make no mistake, Hojbjerg would not come in as a like-for-like replacement for Guimaraes or Tonali in terms of what he offers on the pitch. Instead, he would be someone capable of setting standards at St James' Park, much like Granit Xhaka's influence nearby at Sunderland, or Henderson's experienced presence at Chelsea.

Given the leadership void created by the exits of Guimaraes and Trippier, it would not be a major shock if Hojbjerg arrived and took the captain's armband straight away. That said, there is every chance local boy and England international Dan Burn could be given that role.

Chelsea, or more specifically Alonso, understood that Henderson's experience was needed to steady their young squad. In the same way, Newcastle seemingly believe Hojbjerg is the calm and reliable figure who can help a new coach steer the club through a transitional campaign.