Newcastle United are preparing for a busy summer, with a new manager and several fresh faces expected to arrive at the club’s Benton base.
While the managerial appointment of Steve McClaren expected in the coming days (once he returns from his holiday), a new signing does not appear imminent, even with their reported transfer kitty of £60million. However, the club are anticipating several arrivals this summer.
The club’s highest priority signing is Queens Park Rangers striker Charlie Austin, according to reports, after failing to agree personal terms with Anderlecht’s Aleksandar Mitrovic. Following the Hoops’ relegation to the Championship, Newcastle are hoping to secure the 18-goal striker for a cut-price of £10million, but face fierce competition from Southampton and West Bromwich Albion.
Austin is just one of two strikers the club are hoping to recruit this summer – the other being Chelsea’s Patrick Bamford on loan. Although, as it stands, a deal does seem unlikely with reports suggesting Bamford is unwilling to work with his ex-boss Steve McClaren.
Failure to recruit either striker and Graham Carr will return to his summer short-list, which includes Andre-Pierre Gignac and Saido Berahino, among others. The former is available on a free transfer, while the latter would set the club back a fee of £20million.
Other names to feature on Carr’s short-list are Danny Ings and former Newcastle striker Andy Carroll, but deals for either seem extremely unlikely.
Newcastle will also look to bolster their defensive options this summer, with AS Monaco’s Aymen Abdennour topping their wish-list. Although Aymen would be a major coup, securing his signature seems almost unthinkable, with reports suggesting Newcastle have made an approach despite the player being uninterested.
Should any of Abdennour’s potential suitors (consisting of Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Juventus) follow up their initial interest in the 25-year-old, Newcastle will turn their attentions to Hull City centre back James Chester, who could be available for as little as £4million this summer.
Micah Richards on a free; Virgil van Dijk from Celtic; and Anderlecht’s versatile Chancel Mbemba Mangulu are other targets of Graham Carr’s, but they appear low down on the club’s list of priorities.
According to The Chronicle, Graham Carr will also sound out talks with Chelsea, over the possibility of signing 22-year-old midfielder Marco van Ginkel, who’s failed to make an impact during his time on Stamford Bridge. Carr believes the Dutchman would play a similar role to that of the departed Yohan Cabaye.
Newcastle will also continue their search for cheap hot prospects from across Europe – more specifically Spain. Recently, 18-year-old David Concha visited Tyneside ahead of a summer move, but the club will wait until after McClaren’s appointment to reignite their interest and land the Spaniard.
