Newcastle United are close to reaching an agreement with Aston Villa over a £40 million transfer for midfielder Jacob Ramsey, according to Daily Mail reporter Craig Hope.
Talks between the clubs intensified on Tuesday and could come to a close midweek, with a formal offer and Villa’s approval of the transfer expected imminently.
Ramsey, 24, is said to be keen on the move to St James’ Park, where manager Eddie Howe has long admired his ability to operate across the midfield with the possibility of deploying him in more advanced positions, as well as using him on either wing.
The Magpies see him as their top—and necessary—midfield target after the sale of Sean Longstaff to Leeds United, with Howe complaining about the lack of options during the preseason and the club in dire need of reinforcements there, having only six senior players available with three of them expected to start in Howe’s 4-4-3 system.
Fabrizio Romano has also confirmed Ramsey’s imminent transfer, noting that Howe “really appreciates” the player and hopes to secure a deal despite the difficulty of negotiating directly with Villa.
While Ramsey’s recent seasons have been affected by a hamstring injury and a metatarsal fracture, he played 45 matches in all competitions last campaign. His record for Villa includes 12 goals in 69 Premier League games, and he has 16 caps for England’s under-21s.
Newcastle will likely open the season with Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, and Joelinton as the midfield trio, but Howe is seeking an additional creative option to rotate a squad that will compete on all fronts, including a return to the Champions League, this year.
Ramsey’s arrival will add versatility and another attacking threat to the Magpies’ squad, which is something that put a few more Premier League sides on alert as they also reportedly inquired about the youngster’s availability.
At the end of the day, it looks like Newcastle will relatively save their summer transfer window. The Magpies have already signed Anthony Elanga and Malick Thiaw, landed Aaron Ramsdale on loan, and now are on the verge of bringing Ramsey to Tyneside in what would amount to an addition at each of the four field stratas, from goalie to forward line.