£50m striker tipped to join Newcastle as Liverpool fears emphatically dismissed

Liverpool are not a threat to Newcastle United in their pursuit of Yoane Wissa, according to a second reliable source, with the Magpies also tipped to sign a Leicester City attacking midfielder along with Aston Villa ace Jacob Ramsey.

Newcastle are keen on determined to sign a new striker before the summer transfer window closes on September 1. Newcastle manager Eddie Howe needs to find a replacement for the departed Callum Wilson and potentially for Alexander Isak, with Liverpool ready to make a second bid for the Sweden international striker.

Sources have told TEAMtalk that Liverpool are waiting for Newcastle to line up a replacement for Isak before making another bid for him.

The Premier League champions have already seen an initial bid of £110million (€127.2m, $148.5m) plus add-ons turned down by the Magpies.

TEAMtalk understands that Howe wants two top strikers in his Newcastle team, as he wants to evolve the way the side play.

Brentford striker Wissa is a top target for Newcastle, with The London Evening Standard reporting this week that the Magpies plan to make a bid of £35m (€40.5m, $47.4m)

The Bees want £50m (€58m, $67.8m) for the 28-year-old DR Congo international striker, who scored 19 goals and gave four assists in 34 Premier League starts last season.

There have been murmurs that Liverpool could move for Wissa if Newcastle refuse to sell Isak even after a second bid.

Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie acknowledged last week that ‘Liverpool have shown a little bit of late interest’ in Wissa, but he was emphatic in his claim that the striker does not want to move to Anfield and has ‘decided’ that Newcastle is ‘his destination’.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has now backed those claims, reporting that Brentford will sell Wissa to Newcastle once they have signed a replacement, which is Dango Ouattara, who has moved to the London club from Premier League rivals Brentford.

O’Rourke told Football Insider when asked if Liverpool could move for Wissa: “I would be surprised.

“It looks like Newcastle are well advanced in this race to sign Wissa, but Brentford don’t want to let him go until they bring in a replacement.

“I fully expect Wissa to make that move to St James’ Park before the end of the window, as long as Brentford do bring in a replacement.”

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Newcastle tipped to sign Bilal El Khannouss after Jacob Ramsey

Newcastle have a deal in place with Aston Villa for attacking midfielder Jacob Ramsey.

Ramsey has already completed a medical with Newcastle, although the Magpies have yet to make an official announcement.

However, Howe has already made it public that the 24-year-old English attacking midfielder will be part of his team.

The Shields Gazette quotes Howe as saying after Newcastle’s goalless draw with Villa in the Premier League on Saturday: “Yes, well, [Ramsey transfer] looks like it’s getting closer for us, but again, I’ve been preparing for the game, so I don’t know what stage it’s at, but certainly he’s a player we love.

“I think he’ll offer a lot more strength and depth in that midfield area. Having lost Sean [Longstaff] and Joe Willock to injury, that’s an area that we’ve been concerned about through the second half of pre-season.

“And certainly with the amount of games we have this year, we know that that’s not a number we can carry forward. We need more depth and he’s an outstanding player.”

O’Rourke has said that even though Ramsey is in the bag for Newcastle, last season’s Carabao Cup winners could sign 21-year-old Morocco international attacking midfielder Bilal El Khannouss from Leicester City as well.

The journalist told Football Insider: “He’s a player who has attracted a lot of interest this summer. He was one of Leicester’s shining lights in the Premier League last season.

“He’s a very smart operator and he’s got potential to move on to a bigger club and become a big player for them in the future.

“He isn’t letting the speculation affect him at the moment, he started for Leicester in their opening game of the season and got a couple of assists as well.

“Newcastle have been looking at him while pursuing Jacob Ramsey.

“They could potentially sign both to strengthen the squad in that position.

“Eddie Howe needs a bigger squad this season with Champions League football to contend with.

“Leicester are open to selling him and they’ll face a real battle to convince him to stay in the Championship if he does have Premier League offers.

“It’s one to keep an eye on before the end of the window.

“I expect offers to come in for El Khannouss before the end of the window.”

Latest Newcastle news: Rooney verdict on Isak, PSG raid

Wayne Rooney has given his brutally honest verdict on Isak, with the Manchester United legend also sending a warning to Liverpool about the Newcastle striker.

A presenter has claimed that Liverpool have made a ‘second offer’ for Isak and believes that the striker knows the outcome of the transfer saga.

There is a ‘belief’ at Newcastle that they will be able to sign a Paris Saint-Germain striker, even though at the moment, he is not convinced about leaving last season’s Ligue 1 and Champions League winners.

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