Newcastle United news and transfers: We answer the big questions surrounding the club this week.
June isn’t even over, and it has already been a testing month for Newcastle United.
On the back of a disappointing 12th-place Premier League finish and the message that things would be different this summer, it seems as though things are going from bad to worse.
Top scorer Anthony Gordon has been sold for £70million, a deal recognised as a good one for all parties. But Newcastle then squandered the opportunity to sign their top target to replace him as Victor Munoz joined Liverpool instead, despite the Magpies believing they had an agreement in place.
Amid that, Sandro Tonali has been heavily linked with a move away and captain Bruno Guimaraes has attracted serious interest.
Newcastle have made just one signing so far, with 20-year-old goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen joining from Ligue 2 side Stade de Reims. As such, there are plenty of Newcastle United questions that can be addressed at the moment.
Our sports editor Dominic Scurr has answered a few of them here...
What is happening with Bruno Guimaraes?
There’s an amalgamation of noise surrounding this situation at the moment, which is hardly a good thing.
Arsenal are interested in signing Bruno Guimaraes; that interest is genuine and will be acted upon by the Premier League champions.
But Newcastle are staunch in their stance that their captain is not for sale and they will not entertain any offers for him. The firmness of that stance shows alarm bells are ringing, particularly if the player pushes for a move.
And it would be naive to think Guimaraes, at the peak of his powers, currently shining for Brazil at the World Cup and at an age where his next move, or contract, will be the biggest of his career, is completely satisfied with his situation at Newcastle on the back of a 12th-place finish and no European football.
Where he’s looking for a route out of the club is another question entirely. But there is no smoke without fire and Arsenal wouldn’t be circling and entertaining offers had they not been given an indication that the player would be open to a move.
It’s an uncomfortable situation to say the least.
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Will Sandro Tonali leave NUFC?
Sandro Tonali’s situation is more palatable in comparison. Everyone was braced for Tonali to attract interest and be open to leavinig the club this summer, particularly without European football.
As reported by The Gazette back in April, Tonali believes he will be allowed to leave this summer should a suitable offer come in. So far, that has not materialised with Newcastle rejecting an £80million bid from Tottenham Hotspur.
In a market where Elliot Anderson has joined Manchester City for £116million, valuing Tonali around £100million should be deemed fair. If a club meets that price, Tonali will be gone.
What about the reports surrounding Felix Nmecha?
Newcastle were tracking Felix Nmecha back during his Wolfsburg days and explored a potential move before signing Tonali back in 2023. Nmecha joined Borussia Dortmund instead and even scored his first goal for the club against Newcastle in the Champions League at St James’ Park.
While the German international still has admirers at Newcastle, any potential move would prove too costly to pursue at this stage. In addition to Nmecha’s £73.5million release clause, which Newcastle won’t touch, he is also on a significant salary at Dortmund.
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