Newcastle United’s summer transfer season has already begun poorly.
While a deal to sign Lloyd Kelly is allegedly close, Newcastle received a big setback on Saturday.
Indeed, despite positive conversations with Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo, Chelsea are now leading the battle to capture the defender on a free transfer after his contract expired at Craven Cottage.
Clearly, this is unpleasant news for everyone in Newcastle.
After all, opportunities to get Premier League-proven players in their mid-20s on free transfers are rare.
Still, new information about what happened with Adarabioyo has emerged.
Newcastle’s swift decision on Tosin Adarabioyo after Chelsea hijack
According to The Northern Echo, Newcastle could still have made a counter-offer following Chelsea’s bid.
However, decision-makers at St James’ Park swiftly determined that their offer was sufficient, and they were unwilling to improve it simply because of rival interest.
Signing the 26-year-old was clearly seen as an appealing proposition, but investing too much money would almost definitely limit their capacity to invest in other areas during the summer.
PIF has already stated their point over Newcastle moves.
As disappointing as that is, PIF is staying true to its beliefs.
Despite the fact that they have millions of dollars available (although FFP restrictions prevent them from spending them all), the owners do not like being kept hostage.
Newcastle have already walked out of agreements for Jesse Lingard and Hugo Ekitike because they proved too pricey.
They are not willing to waste money and will not be duped.
Frankly, having such a reasonable structure in place must be better for the club’s long-term chances than paying whatever people demand.
Some insiders believe that two players should have departed regardless of what happened to Newcastle recently.
Newcastle United is going through some changes.
Indeed, Eddie Howe’s third full season in command of Newcastle is fast approaching, and the club is already undergoing significant changes.
Whereas not many players departed St James’ Park permanently last summer, the situation has already improved this time around.
Clearly, the aim is that Newcastle will not have to sell the players they want to keep. Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes have both been connected with moves, but Howe has cautioned that selling either would set the club back enormously in its quest for growth.
Nonetheless, there is little doubt that certain players needed – or will need – to go on, as indications suggest the club is trying to generate a considerable amount of money through sales.
Paul Dummett and Matt Ritchie are two players who have lately left St James’.
Despite their lack of playing time, both have been lauded behind the scenes for their contributions in the dressing room and on the training pitch throughout the years.
However, Newcastle’s failure to qualify for Europe meant that neither player’s contract was extended, as Howe does not require a large squad because domestic competitions will be his exclusive emphasis.
Some members of the club believe the decision should have been taken earlier.
What some at Newcastle thought about Paul Dummett and Matt Ritchie leaving the club.
According to The Athletic, there were individuals on Tyneside who believed the duo should have left regardless of whether Newcastle qualified for Europe.
The pair played a total of 138 minutes of Premier League football last season, and their departure is understood to have saved the club roughly £100,000 per week.
For his part, Howe was quoted as saying that the pair’s ability to drive standards on the training ground, as well as their abundance of experience, should have kept them if Newcastle had made it to Europe.
Newcastle needed this era to end for a time.
Since the PIF’s acquisition, only Chris Wood and Allan Saint-Maximin have gone for somewhat large sums.
Clearly, the club will not receive any compensation for Dummett and Ritchie (along with Amadou Diallo, Loris Karius, Jeff Hendrick, and Kell Watts), but saving on wages during a season when Newcastle are treading thin in terms of FFP feels critical.
Perhaps Howe’s argument for maintaining them in a perfect world was valid, but it is not the financial reality in which Newcastle operates.
‘Amazing’ Newcastle target valued at £42 million may have made a U-turn on his future.
Newcastle United may have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of an apparently long-term objective.
Indeed, much was made about Newcastle’s lack of a defensive midfielder last year.
Bruno Guimaraes, of course, has done a fantastic job in that position since the departure of Jonjo Shelvey, who previously worked there.
Nonetheless, there were accusations during the 2022/23 season that Brazilian was playing slightly out of position, having earlier stated a desire to play farther forward.
Sandro Tonali arrived last summer, but he was more of an orthodox center midfielder, and there were questions about whether the Italian and Guimaraes could work together effectively.
That is not to imply they cannot, and Tonali’s season was obviously cut short, but it was not without flaws prior to his suspension.
So, the signing of a new midfielder has been spoken about for a long now.
Kalvin Phillips was heavily linked with a move in January, but Newcastle did not sign the England international, who later had a disastrous loan spell at West Ham.
Ederson of Atalanta was another player mentioned as a Toon target.
Newcastle were reported to have taken note after pundit Owen Hargreaves praised his performance against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final last month, calling him “amazing”.
However, circumstances may have changed since then.
Ederson may have done a U-turn on his future with Atalanta amid Newcastle interest.
According to TuttoMercatoWeb, the Brazilian, who is thought to be worth roughly £42 million (up from the previously reported £34 million), had expressed a desire to leave the Italian club.
Nonetheless, having won the Europa League and with the UEFA Super Cup remaining to play for, the 24-year-old may now want to stay in Bergamo.
Newcastle may not need to buy a midfielder this summer.
The lack of a defensive midfielder was a concern at times last season, but the season before that, Newcastle had the Premier League’s joint-best defence.
With this in mind, there is reason to believe Guimaraes can continue to do his job. He has undoubtedly done this before.
Tonali will return, and Elliot Anderson, Joe Willock, and Joelinton will be assured that they will not have major injury difficulties next season. While there is no assurance, bad luck has a limited duration.
Newcastle now has six center midfielders, including Lewis Miley and Sean Longstaff. Given that they often play a 4-3-3, that could provide ample coverage for just the domestic season.
Missing out on Ederson would be a disappointment given Newcastle’s evident strong desire.
Still, during a period when the club is faced with FFP limits, perhaps focusing on less well-stocked areas should be prioritized.
Fabrizio Romano has just provided some terrible transfer news to Newcastle fans.
Newcastle United has a tough summer ahead of them.
While there is hope that Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes will remain at Newcastle for at least another season, both players have been linked with moves abroad.
The persistent nature of rumours during the transfer season will make the time until it closes at the end of August seem like an eternity.
On a more positive note, the club is being linked with a number of exciting talents.
Clearly, Newcastle will not be able to sign every player mentioned as a Toon target, but it is something to rally behind.
However, their intentions to bolster the defence have been hampered by information revealed on X (previously Twitter) by noted transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Fabrizio Romano has just revealed some terrible transfer news for Newcastle.
Indeed, Romano took to social media to report that Chelsea were close to signing Tosin Adarabioyo, a soon-to-be free agent.
The defender will leave current club Fulham when his contract expires, and he has held conversations with the Magpies about a move.
There was even talk that he may sign on the dotted line alongside Lloyd Kelly, who will be leaving Bournemouth as a free agent too.
However, according to Romano, the Blues are suddenly leading the race to sign Adarabioyo, despite the fact that Newcastle has been working on the deal for some weeks.
It’s becoming increasingly unlikely that Chelsea will not sign the former Manchester City teenager.
This is extremely bad news for Newcastle United.
Earlier this week, there was irritation that the transaction was not moving forward despite Newcastle’s efforts to close it, which now appears to be foreshadowing.
Speaking to Geordie Boot Boys about seemingly missing out on the defender, HITC Football insider Graeme Bailey said: “This is a big blow to Newcastle’s plans; they still want and expect to get Lloyd Kelly, but getting Tosin for free was part of their summer plans, which would bolster their budget elsewhere.
“Newcastle, given what they were offering in terms of his standing within the squad, are shocked by Tosin’s decision not to accept their deal.”
A journalist offers his thoughts on whether Newcastle United will sign James Trafford this summer.
Following their relegation to Burnley, Newcastle United’s goalkeeper hunt has led to speculation that they could sign James Trafford.
The 21-year-old was unable to help maintain the Clarets in the Premier League, but might be given a quick return to the top division.
That’s because Trafford is now a suspected target for Newcastle United, who are looking to strengthen their goalkeeping department. That is viewed as critical, with Loris Karius leaving the club and Martin Dubravka perhaps following suit.
According to the Daily Mail, Trafford might be available for roughly £20 million, making him an intriguing prospect for Newcastle, and his presence would almost certainly indicate that Nick Pope will continue as number one. This would be less likely if the team signed Aaron Ramsdale or Giorgi Mamardashvili, for example.
James Trafford to Newcastle United is viewed as doubtful.
And that is one of the reasons why HITC Football insider Graeme Bailey believes Newcastle United will not sign Trafford this summer.
“Trafford’s agent is pushing his name around,” he stated.
“He would arrive solely as a number two. He is in no way an upgrade over Nick Pope.
“I feel Newcastle are searching for a goalkeeper who can strengthen their number one position, which James Trafford does not. If they believe Trafford is superior to Pope, he may be considered, but I doubt it.
“I don’t think Trafford did himself many favours in the Premier League.”
Trafford would have much to prove at St James’ Park.
If Newcastle want a number two, signing someone like Trafford makes sense. As Bailey admits, he is not better than Pope.
But the Magpies want to give the England international greater competition, something he may not get if he is only competing with Trafford for a spot in the starting lineup.
While he has a lot of promise and will be highly regarded by Anthony Gordon, he underperformed in his first Premier League season. Trafford struggled between the sticks, and he lost his place in Vincent Kompany’s starting lineup near the end of the season.
There is also the extra problem of Newcastle not playing in Europe next season, which means fewer games. This will result in less rotation, which could indicate that the Magpies are more likely to bring in someone as a number two.
You may argue that enhances Trafford’s position, but Bailey does not anticipate him putting up a black and white scarf anytime soon.
READ MORE……
Newcastle winger confesses he will ‘do his best’ to leave this summer.
Ryan Fraser has stated that he will do his utmost to make his loan to Southampton permanent this summer.
The Scottish winger joined Saints on loan from Newcastle for the 2023/24 season after slipping out of the first-team picture at St. James’ Park.
Fraser played a significant figure in helping Southampton return to the Premier League at the first attempt, beating Leeds 1-0 in the playoff final after finishing fourth in the Championship standings, scoring eight goals and assisting three times in 44 games across all competitions.
The 26-year-old Scotland international still has one year left on his Newcastle contract, but given that he hasn’t played for the Magpies since 2022, Eddie Howe is unlikely to see him as a first-team regular going ahead.
Instead, Fraser hopes to earn a permanent return to Southampton.
When asked by the Daily Echo if he will play for the Saints in 2024/25, Fraser said, “I’ll do my best.”
Fraser discusses the ‘greatest feeling’ of his career.
When asked by the Daily Echo if he will play for the Saints in 2024/25, Fraser said, “I’ll do my best.”
It’s no surprise Fraser wants to make his loan at St. Mary’s permanent.
The former Bournemouth winger, who scored crucial victories over West Brom, Millwall, and Hull during the winter, has hailed winning promotion with Southampton as the ‘greatest feeling’ of his career thus far.
“It’s probably the best feeling I’ve had in my career,” Fraser remarked.
“Obviously, I’ve gotten other promotions, but this one doesn’t compare. This is by far the finest feeling I’ve ever experienced.
Fraser discusses the ‘greatest feeling’ of his career.
“I’ve been saying it for a long time, but it’s just the family, spirits, fans, gaffer, lads – I could just keep going, and there’s no better feeling.”
“A lot was riding up onto this game and the lads were brilliant, just defending for our lives and showing a different side of us.”
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