Roy Keane has made a surprising Newcastle United claim with his predictions for the Premier League table.
Despite a summer full of turbulence and misfortune, the Magpies managed to pick up a point in a goalless draw against Aston Villa on Saturday.
Newcastle United did not look like a team that had been affected by the ongoing transfer saga of their star striker, though they could have done with Alexander Isak to finish some of the chances that Anthony Gordon missed.
With the new season officially underway, predictions have been coming in thick and fast. Joe Cole backs Newcastle to finish 5th, while former Premier League star Jamie Redknapp was shocked by Opta picking Newcastle as a favourite to win the title.
Now, several more pundits, including Roy Keane, have made their predictions, with the former Manchester United man clearly favouring the Magpies.
Newcastle United players applaud the fans following their draw with Aston Villa.
Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
Roy Keane backs Newcastle United to finish 4th in the Premier League
Ally McCoist does not believe Newcastle will finish in the top six this season, giving them little chance of making it into Europe. Champions League football is on the horizon, so the schedule is busy, but Newcastle’s new signings should help Howe manage his squad much more comfortably than last season.
On Sky Sports Premier League, Keane, Daniel Sturridge and Micah Richards made their predictions for the 2024/25 season. Sturridge and Richards did not include Newcastle in their top five, but Keane placed the Magpies fourth.
“I don’t think (their summer was a disaster), I think they’ll get business done over the next week or two,” he said.
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“I think they’ll pull something out of the bag. They’ll surprise one or two people. Obviously, you look at Eddie Howe and what he’s done, he’s a brilliant coach.
“Yeah, I think Newcastle are in for another good season.”
Finishing fourth would mean that Newcastle will keep their place in the Champions League for a second successive year, something they have not done in over 20 years.
Newcastle United need to carry on their positive work in the transfer window
While Newcastle have missed out on some of their top targets this summer, the work that has been done is still admirable. The Magpies have made four senior signings so far, with the likes of Anthony Elanga and Malick Thiaw fixing lingering issues at right wing and centre-back.
Elsewhere, the signings of Aaron Ramsdale and, most recently, Jacob Ramsey give Newcastle more depth in positions that were lacking in quality outside of the starting XI.
If Newcastle want to give themselves the best chance of living up to Keane’s prediction, they must get more deals done before the transfer window closes on September 1.
Additionally, the hope will be that Isak stays at Newcastle for the remainder of the 2025/26 campaign before being allowed to go.