Manchester City winger Jack Grealish
Manchester City winger Jack Grealish
Newcastle United's new Premier League season is just around the corner and there is plenty to get excited about if you are a Magpie.
Not only is football back at St James' Park but fierce rivals and neighbours Sunderland are back in the big time after their Championship play-off final triumph - meaning the Tyne–Wear derby is once again back on the fixture list. Amid all this excitement, transfer business has been slow to kick into gear.
Anthony Elanga appears close to signing but other deals are currently being worked on. With this in mind, Chronicle Live has taken a look at a couple of rumours swirling around this Friday morning.
Newcastle 'accelerate' Grealish interest
According to , the Magpies have their sights set on a move for Jack Grealish once the deal for Elanga has been completed. The City winger has dropped down the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium and was not named in the squad for the Club World Cup.
Grealish is expected to leave City this summer. But, with two years remaining on his deal, side can still demand a good fee.
What Chronicle Live says: A move for Grealish would be a good next addition for the Magpies as they prepare for Champions League football. Many have suggested that the former Aston Villa man struggled to fit into Guardiola's formulaic system and that is probably correct. However, if he is still determined to succeed, there is still a player in there that could benefit Newcastle. When at the top of his game, there are few better than Grealish and Eddie Howe will hope he can tap into that talent.
New target 'identified'
The reports that Newcastle have identified Brentford's Yoane Wissa as an option for their forward line. Interest in the 28-year-old has been growing this week with and both linked with him.
Brentford are thought to only be interested in selling either Wissa or Bryan Mbeumo this summer, not both. Mbeumo is currently in talks with Manchester United but those discussions are stalling at present, so there is an opportunity for Newcastle to swoop in.
What Chronicle says: Wissa would be a good signing but I am not sure he is worth the same as Mbeumo. Clubs look to be queuing up for Wissa knowing that Mbeumo only wants to move to Old Trafford. While his record is similar to the Cameroonian's, Mbeumo is considerably younger and represents better resale value. Instead of being drawn into a prolonged set of negotiations, Newcastle would be better off going all in on Grealish after Elanga joins.
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