A lot can change in a year. This is certainly something Newcastle United fans would agree with as they look ahead to their first summer transfer window after their big-money takeover.
Rewind to last summer, and the Geordies‘ biggest spend was bringing in Joe Willock for £26.5million from Arsenal.
Now, Eddie Howe‘s side will be armed with a much larger war chest, with reports from the Daily Mail suggesting they’ll have £60-80m to play with this summer.
They are of course restricted to the rules of Financial Fair Play due to the lack of commercial growth under previous owner, Mike Ashley, but their budget is certainly much healthier this time round.
January signings Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimareas have already set the standard of just the kind of players the club are now capable of attracting.
Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, Manchester United’s goalkeeper Dean Henderson and Atletico Madrid left-back Renan Lodi – Trippier’s former defensive partner – have all previously been cited as potential targets for the Premier League side.
And talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has included another list of players the Magpies could be after in this week’s edition of his transfer notebook.
So, who are these stars and how could Newcastle line up if they manage to secure them alongside the other players they’ve been linked with?
Nathan Ake (Manchester City)
Former Chelsea youngster Ake has only been at Manchester City for two seasons, however, he started just ten league games this for the Premier League champions in the 2021/22 season, he could be on the move.
The 27-year-old centre-back has been told he can leave the Etihad, and where better to go next than to join his former Bournemouth boss Howe at Newcastle?
Howe has actually been after Ake since the January window, and this summer could be the perfect time for the pair to reunite.
Ake is a versatile defender having occasionally slotted in at left-back for City.
But if Newcastle bring in Atletico Madrid’s Renan Lodi, it’s likely Ake will be deployed in his more natural position at centre-back, and could compete with January signing Dan Burn for a spot in the Geordie’s backline.
Hugo Ekitike (Reims)
The 19-year-old has caught the eye of the Geordies having scored ten times in 24 games for Ligue 1 side Reims this campaign, despite being out with a hamstring injury from February to May.
Now, it’s been reported by The Guardian that the Frenchman is on his way to St. James’ Park, with Reims accepting a £25.6m bid from the Geordies.
It’s understood the deal will be sealed once Ekitike gives final approval to the five-year contract on offer.
Howe first targeted the youngster in January, too, with Ekitike providing a youthful edge to Newcastle’s current striking options, which includes Chris Wood and Callum Wilson.
Moussa Diaby (Bayer Leverkusen)
The Bundesliga star and France international is another attacking player who has been linked with the Magpies.
Another youngster, the 22-year-old – who is typically deployed on the right wing for Leverkusen – has scored 17 times and recorded 14 assists across all competitions in 2021/22.
The impressive winger is valued at around £40million and would be a huge statement of intent by the Newcastle hierarchy given how highly rated he is and could challenge Miguel Almiron for his spot.
But when asked about the move before France’s Nations League fixtures, Diaby kept his cards close to his chest.
“It’s nice to hear my name being linked to big clubs, but I’m focused on getting together to do good things here [with France],” he told reporters.
“Then we will see what happens but, right now, I’m not thinking about it too much.”
How Newcastle could line up next season
Source: Talk Sport