Newcastle jetted off to Saudi Arabia this morning for a week of training in the sun. However, the work to strengthen the squad continues despite Amanda Staveley joining the players and coaching staff on the trip to Jeddah.
The Mail is reporting that a transfer meeting was held today in which a number of targets were discussed. In the report, Craig Hope goes through a list of 14 players Newcastle could target under differing scenarios.
The area that Newcastle are likely to zero in on primarily is at center-back. There was talk of Eddie Howe bringing in two central defenders in this window with the top targets being Lille’s Sven Botman and Sevilla’s Diego Carlos.
The move for Botman fizzled early in the window with Lille’s reluctance to sell the 22-year-old this month. Despite both Diego Carlos and his representatives pushing Sevilla for a move to Newcastle, that appears to be headed for the same fate.
Hope names other defensive targets that could come into play should Newcastle pull out of the Carlos sweepstakes. They are Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic and Burnley’s James Tarkowski, who helped shut Arsenal down today in a 0-0 draw.
The move for Tarkowski seems a non-starter at this point. There is little chance Burnley approve a deal to a relegation rival, especially the one who activated the release clause of their top striker Chris Wood a few weeks ago.
Milenkovic would be a very popular signing and has resurfaced as a target recently. Hope believes the Serbian international would command a fee of around £32m, which is high for someone not rated by the club as a top target like Botman or Carlos.
However, the winter window is brutal for buying clubs. Milenkovic, at just 24 years old, has his best years in front of him. He has a wealth of experience with over 150 appearances in Italy and seems like a great fit for The Premier League.
254 comments so far
Dingo®
Jan 24, 2022 at 8:10 AM
Comment #241Directional Name _ my free speech for the day
Dingo®
Jan 24, 2022 at 8:12 AM
Comment #242pssst – its (INCARNATE DOILEM)
CLINT FLICK
Jan 24, 2022 at 8:14 AM
Comment #243How much longer is the ‘pens for some, no pens for others’ gonna go on?
That lfc joke pen was pathetic. One if the cheats(fa/pl) need to explain themselves.
Dingo®
Jan 24, 2022 at 8:16 AM
Comment #244clint – you not wrong mate – its woeful and bizarrely, played out in slow motion before us… go figure! I guess they think it adds to the game.
DubaiMicky
Jan 24, 2022 at 8:17 AM
Comment #245Raj, yes.
CLINT FLICK
Jan 24, 2022 at 8:20 AM
Comment #246Dingo
It’s actually way beyond a joke now, huh?
.and how come they only have one camera angle of some and multiple angles of others?
There is so much bs in the game, from the top down…aided and abetted by tge bbc, media, press…vomit-inducing.
CLINT FLICK
Jan 24, 2022 at 8:22 AM
Comment #247Dingo, also…
Do they not realize that we can pause, rewind, zoom in, super slomo ourselves, now?
F@#kin’ dumkopfs!
Raj of Hailsley
Jan 24, 2022 at 8:22 AM
Comment #248Sparky55,
Unfortunately I don’t think a striker better than Wood will be available until the summer, if there was then 100% bring him in. You simply can’t build a team around Wilson and Wood isn’t going anywhere on a 2.5 year deal. Cash in on Wilson in the summer. Never been keen on him since his comments about fans anyway. Iheneacho would be a cracking signing but would he swap Leicester for a relegation battle. Nigeria are out of the AFCON btw, we might see a few African players getting bought soon.
Shot Bru
Jan 24, 2022 at 8:22 AM
Comment #249You would’ve thought the refs and the anonymous officials in the VAR bunker should be mic’d up.
Surely they have to be made accountable for the rationale behind their decisions.
CLINT FLICK
Jan 24, 2022 at 8:26 AM
Comment #250Shot
They’re cowards mate.
Ain’t gonna happen!
They’ve created a safe space to hide.
The powers at fifa/uefa need to tell em to get transparent and start implementing var like everyone else does.
Typical exceptionalist crap.
Unused Substitute
Jan 24, 2022 at 8:29 AM
Comment #251Saint Maximin takes a tumble so freaking easily that when he does get tripped in the box a legitimate call for penalty call is turned down.
CLINT FLICK
Jan 24, 2022 at 8:35 AM
Comment #252A pen is s pen, a foul is a foul, whoever it is, wherever it is on the fidld of play, no background or past and especially no team colours should have any part to play.
CLINT FLICK
Jan 24, 2022 at 8:36 AM
Comment #253That’s why var.
Dingo®
Jan 24, 2022 at 8:48 AM
Comment #254Spot on ! Really it’s laughable- it used to be what the crowd and the ref saw – there is no excuse now – how it can’t be seen as divisive I don’t know