With the second week of the international break set to commence, one Newcastle United star has been told to leave his international camp and return to Tyneside early.
Newcastle star told to leave international duty
Just when Newcastle thought they were glad to see the back of domestic football after losing to rivals Sunderland, the transfer rumours kicked off. Now, Eddie Howe will be desperate to get his players back and turn things around once and for all.
As soon as Sandro Tonali left for Italy duty, rumours arrived over his future. The midfielder is now reportedly Manchester United's top target this summer, sparking plenty of concern in Tyneside.
There were even rumours that he has a secret agreement to leave Newcastle this summer, but those have now been shut down. Alas, that's unlikely to be the end of the saga and it looks like it could be another long summer for the Magpies.
Tonali, himself, didn't exactly shut the rumours down when speaking to reporters at the end of last year, either, saying: "This is a tough question because, you know, [in] football you need to think year for year. I don't want to say I want to stay here 10 years and in two years, three years, four years [or] five years I will go."
Losing such an important player just one year on from Alexander Isak's record sale would be another almighty blow for Howe, who's already facing questions about his own future following a disappointing campaign.
england-squad Related
England star 'increasingly likely' to join Newcastle in blow for Aston Villa
Eddie Howe's side are in pole position to land him.
At such an important time, the former Bournemouth boss will also be keen to get his players back unscathed from international football and that's why one return will be music to his ears.
As confirmed by the Daily Mail's Jack Gaughan, Aaron Ramsdale has now been told to leave the England camp one week early and is already back in Newcastle in a pre-planned move from Thomas Tuchel.
Ramsdale should be undisputed No.1 at Newcastle
The goalkeeper's early return should allow Howe the chance to take a closer look at his credentials after a tough season for Nick Pope. The latter has already been dropped for Ramsdale in recent weeks, but that move should be made permanent for the rest of the season and beyond.
Aaron-Ramsdale-Newcastle
Some around St James' Park will be surprised that it's taken this long for Ramsdale to come into the side. Pope hasn't exactly enjoyed a standout season and the former Arsenal man ticks several boxes for what a modern day goalkeeper should be by comparison.
One of the first things that Newcastle should do this summer is make the shot-stopper's move from Southampton permanent, before he becomes the undisputed No.1.
25/26 PL stats Ramsdale Pope
Games 10 22
Clean Sheets 1 7
Save Percentage 61.8% 67.7%
Saves P90 2.3 3.09
Pass Percentage 66% 61.2%
Errors leading to goal 0 3
Six years since he described Ramsdale as "magnificent" thanks to his time at Bournemouth, Howe should ensure that Ramsdale takes a starting place for years to come in Tyneside instead of the error-prone Pope.