How Newcastle’s stunning £420m line-up could look in 2026 – if Man Utd & Dortmund deals get doneplaceholder image
How Newcastle’s stunning £420m line-up could look in 2026 – if Man Utd & Dortmund deals get done | Getty Images
A look at Newcastle’s potential starting line-up in 2026 - if transfer rumours involving Manchester United and others prove true.
Newcastle United’s turbulent summer of transfer dealings may be behind them, and Nick Woltemade’s early performances suggest that they may not miss Alexnader Isak too much – but there’s still work to be done if they’re going to become consistently competitive at the very top of the table.
The Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules may have limited how much the club’s Saudi Arabian owners can spend so far, but there are some deep pockets behind the Magpies and fans can expect them to be reached in to over the course of 2026 as the team works to build the best squad possible for Eddie Howe.
We may be a couple of months away from the next transfer window, but the gossip columns are already starting to offer some hints of what could come over the course of next year – so we’ve decided to take a look at how Newcastle could line up once the financial dust settles.
Will Newcastle make a move for Kobbie Mainoo?
If there’s one position that Newcastle are almost certain to strengthen at some stage next year, it’s central midfield – while their current triumvirate of Bruno Guimarães, Joelinton and Sandro Tonali are performing admirably, there’s a need for greater depth and competition and it’s something Newcastle’s transfer team are likely to address before long.
One player that the Magpies are being strongly linked with is Manchester United and England youngster Kobbie Mainoo, who has become a peripheral figure under Ruben Amorim but who could easily flourish in Howe’s more compact midfield three. Reports from the summer suggested that the 20-year-old could be available for around £45m.
Should they fail to sign Mainoo, don’t be surprised if they also take a look at the possibility of bringing Elliot Anderson back. Anderson has thrived since leaving St. James’ Park for Nottingham Forest and a few reports suggest that Newcastle could investigate the possibility of bringing him home next summer – but it would be a more expensive deal if it went through.
Julian Brandt on Newcastle’s January shopping list
While many of the more expensive deals Newcastle are being linked with are ones that are likely to take place next summer – if at all – one deal that is reportedly on the table for January is a move for Borussia Dortmund winger Julian Brandt.
The 29-year-old has been a staple of Dortmund’s first team in recent seasons but his contract is set to expire in June and it’s looking increasingly likely that his current employers will try to sell him in the new year in order to avoid losing him on a free transfer.
Newcastle won’t be the only team in the bidding if it does pan out that way, but their name seems to be cropping up more than anybody else’s and the interest looks genuine. The winger would offer additional depth across the front three and could add some extra firepower with Anthony Gordon struggling to recapture his best form. Aston Villa are said to be keen as well, and he’d likely set a club back around £20m.
Will Eddie Howe get another new defender in 2026?
The summer signing of Malick Thiaw took some of the pressure off the club to find some answers at the back, but the fact remains that the back four still has a number of players who are either getting a little long in the tooth or who are – in the case of Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles – struggling for fitness.
It’s not certain that Newcastle will sign a new centre-half but the name of RC Strasbourg’s Ismaël Doukouré is beginning to crop up more and more. He can also play in midfield if required, which could make him a solution to two problems at once. Newcastle probably won’t be in the market for Marc Guéhi this time around, as they are likely to be outgunned by teams like Liverpool and Bayern Munich.
There has also been an interesting rumour circulating which suggests that Newcastle are among the sides who could take Barcelona’s Marc-André Ter Stegen on loan in January – the Dutchman could be available if he forces a move out of his current club, and while there are a few dominoes to fall in that particular rally, it’s not implausible that he could make his way to the Premier League, with Manchester United supposedly keen too. Why Newcastle would want another goalkeeper when Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale are both on the books remains a mystery, admittedly.
Possible Newcastle starting XI in 2026 if rumours prove true: Pope; Hall, Botman, Doukouré, Livramento; Bruno, Tonali, Mainoo; Brandt, Woltemade, Elanga.
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