The summer window hasn’t officially opened yet, but it already seems pretty clear that Newcastle United have four transfer priorities.
A centre-back, right winger, goalkeeper and striker are wanted and needed, but it appears as though more could arrive for the purposes of squad depth.
Next season, we have the demands of Champions League football and two domestic cups, along with another Premier League campaign where a top-four finish will be on the agenda once again.
However, we all know how injuries and fatigue impacted our last European venture, so it’s vital we not only add quality and numbers to our side this summer.
The Telegraph report that Newcastle United could bring in another midfielder to bolster Eddie Howe’s squad this summer.
As things stand, Eddie Howe has six midfield options in Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Joe Willock, Lewis Miley and Sean Longstaff.
However, Luke Edwards reports that local lad Longstaff is ‘expected to leave’ over the coming months, opening the door for another addition to our engine room.
Longstaff has been linked to Everton, Leeds and Man Utd over the past few months, with reports suggesting £10m may be enough to land the 27-year-old now he’s entering the final 12 months of his contract.
A few names have been loosely linked, whether that’s no 8s able to play in the roles Bruno and Joelinton currently take up, or holding midfielders to add depth in Tonali’s deep-lying no 6 role.
Genk’s Ibrahima Sory Bangoura, 21, has been linked as a potential gem from Belgium, while Coventry’s Jack Rudoni has also been watched, according to The Mail’s Craig Hope.
The i Paper have covered our long term interest in Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey, while reports in Italy suggest Douglas Luiz may be an option after a mixed first season with Juventus.
Either way, it currently feels like there is a big drop off from Tonali to Longstaff or Joelinton to Willock, making a new midfielder preferable if we wish to head into 2025/26 robust enough to compete on four fronts.