Newcastle transfers: Major summer spree on cards with Leeds Utd man among 10 Prem stars Howe wants to sign

Newcastle United will loosen the purse strings in emphatic fashion this summer if the club qualifies for the Champions League – with boss Eddie Howe and sporting director Dan Ashworth reportedly discussing deals for 10 Premier League stars.

The Magpies were in the relegation mix for the early period of last season. However, the appointment of Howe, together with the takeover of wealthy Saudi backers PIF, has resulted in a quite remarkable transformation.

Indeed, a brilliant January window last season helped the club recover to finish in 11th place.

And while there was a sense that the club was upwardly mobile, few will have predicted quite how well the 2022/23 season has gone for them.

As it stands, Newcastle are currently fourth in the Premier League, having lost just four times all season. That tally is bettered only by Premier League leaders Arseenal (three defeats) and is also on a par with Pep Guardiola’s star-studded Manchester City.

And with a place in the Champions League well within their sights, Newcastle could find themselves sat on UEFA’s top table again for the first time since 2002/03.

Howe is understandably keen to stress that Newcastle’s rise is not all down to the money spent.

And the Newcastle boss insists the Magpies still remain some distance behind many of their rivals.

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Howe given serious money to strengthen Newcastle squad – report

“I go back to my early coaching experiences and we were always trying to buck the trend,” he said last month. “We were going against teams with far superior budgets to us for years and years.

“When you say how: team spirit, togetherness, implementing a plan, hopefully everyone’s on the same page and working harder than everyone else. That’s the simple blueprint that I’ve always tried to use.

“When you get to the elite level, as we are, it gets harder and harder. But believe in the squad we have and we’ll give everything to try to do that.”

However, reports claim qualification for the Champions League this summer could see the club back Howe with serious cash.

As a result, the club are reportedly discussing a number of targets – all of whom in the Premier League – this summer.

Wednesday’s Transfer Gossip claims Howe’s major aims this summer are to strengthen his midfield. And Leeds midfielder Tyler Adams is one such name under discussion.

However, the Daily Star claims he is just one of a handful of midfielders Howe is considering. And their report claims Kalvin Phillips, Moises Caicedo, Declan Rice and Scott McTominay are the five names up for discussion at St James’ Park.

Of the five stars, West Ham’s Rice perhaps looks the hardest to obtain. Carrying a likely £100m price tag, he is also on Arsenal list of transfer targets and would seemingly prefer to stay around the capital.

Caicedo, meanwhile, is another who has a huge tag on his head. Indeed, the Gunners saw a £70m January offer waved away by Brighton.

Newcastle also want to add more goals to the side

McTominay, however, has been strongly linked with Newcastle and reports recently suggested he is pushing to leave Manchester United. And with a price tag of around £40m being discussed, he could fall within the Magpies’ budget.

The Magpies also want to add more goals to their side though and the Daily Star suggests Ivan Toney is one name under discussion. However, sources have revealed to TEAMtalk they are not currently considering a move for their former striker.

Nonetheless, Howe is reportedly looking to bring more goals to his side and in-form Brighton star Kaoru Mitoma is one wide star they are looking to bring in.

He is not the only winger up for debate, though, with Jarrod Bowen and Leicester’s Harvey Barnes being considered. The Foxes have reportedly already put a price tag on Barnes’ head amid reports of Newcastle interest.

Howe also wants to bring goals to his midfield though too are both Conor Gallagher and James Maddison are two other ambitious targets.

Chelsea appear willing to let Gallagher leave for the right price this summer, with Liverpool among his suitors.

Maddison, meanwhile, will likely leave Leicester regardless of whether they avoid the drop or not. The England star has just a year left on his deal and is attracting interest from Tottenham, Arsenal and Newcastle. The 26-year-old will likely fetch a minimum £50m fee.

Newcastle, of course, will not sign all the stars mentioned. However, they are seemingly preparing for the addition of three or four quality stars from within the Premier League.

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