Geordie Boot Boys - Newcastle United F.C. News

It is going to be really difficult for Newcastle United to sign the attacker they want this summer, and snapping up one of their targets might now be even tougher.

The Magpies have got their eye on some top level players, as Eddie Howe aims to bring in a new right winger who can help take the club to the next level.

Michael Olise would certainly do that, and Newcastle did make a move. However, he is on his way to Bayern Munich.

Nico Williams would also do that, but a transfer to St James’ Park seems extremely unlikely as he eyes a switch from Athletic Bilbao to Barcelona.

Even a player from the Championship could be difficult to sign, as Newcastle ponder whether or not to make a move for Leeds United star Crysencio Summerville.

Newcastle suffer Crysencio Summerville blow

The ‘exceptional‘ Dutchman is on Newcastle’s radar after a sensational season in the second tier with Leeds. He was named the Championship Player of the Season, but was unable to help them secure promotion back to the Premier League.

That created situation in which Leeds needed to raise funds by selling a star player, which suggested that he might be one of Newcastle’s more attainable targets.

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However, the situation has changed after Leeds sold Archie Gray to Tottenham Hotspur for £35million.

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds are no longer under pressure to sell after allowing Gray to join Spurs.

They report that Leeds are not actively looking to sell a player like Summerville anymore, and will only let him go if a decent offer comes in and he suggests that he would like to leave.

Leeds are no longer desperate to sell, which means Newcastle might have to break the bank if they are serious about signing Summerville, who is also attracting interest from Paris Saint-Germain.

Newcastle United did look at Archie Gray

With Tottenham signing Gray for £35million, Ange Postecoglou’s side have inadvertently made it tougher for Newcastle to bring Summerville to St James’ Park.

Interestingly, they have also signed a player who Newcastle United officials were watching closely last season.

That is according to the Times, who have reported that Toon scouts regularly watched Gray at Elland Road last season.

And given how impressive the teenager is, they surely would have been keen to bring him to the North East.

However, it is Tottenham who have secured his signature, for a fee that probably explains why Newcastle were never in the mix. While Gray has a huge amount of potential, it would have been a shock to see the Magpies spend more than £30million on a midfielder when they do not need reinforcements in that position and have other priorities.

Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur battled it out to sign an attacking midfielder in the summer of 2023, and now they could do it again in 2024.

The beginning of last summer was all about James Maddison, as Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur both vied for his signature.

It ended up being quite the saga, and it was a saga that ended with the attacking midfielder signing for Ange Postecoglou and Spurs. However, there were reports that Maddison was very keen on a move to Tyneside, only for wages to be an issue.

Fast forward 12 months and Newcastle may feel as if they could still benefit from a player like Maddison, while the 27-year-old is watching the Euros from home after failing to make Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

Newcastle have looked at signing Eberechi Eze

Maddison was snubbed by Southgate, who opted for a more in-form player in Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.

The 25-year-old has been outstanding at Selhurst Park, while Toon fans recently saw firsthand how good Eze is when England competed at St James’ Park in a pre-Euros friendly.

And there is hope that Newcastle fans could see more of Eze, with Toon officials reportedly discussing a move for him this summer.

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He will not come cheap at £60million, while there is now the added complication of fresh competition.

Tottenham Hotspur interested in Crystal Palace star

According to TalkSPORT, Tottenham Hotspur are looking to sign Eze from Crystal Palace, with their interest described as ‘serious’.

They add that Spurs are going to try and activate his £60million release clause, but they will need to reduce their wage bill before a deal is possible.

Newcastle will have to wait until July to sign players like Eze

As for Newcastle, they will need to wait until June 30th passes. That is an important date for the Magpies, as it is when the next set of accounts must be submitted to the Premier League.

Right, now the Magpies are in a position where they need to sell to stay within PSR limits. That is why Yankuba Minteh is being lined up for a move away from St James’ Park.

Once his exit is confirmed and June 30th passes, the real fun could start for the Magpies. That is when we could see Eddie Howe’s side step up their interest in some ambitious targets, and it will be interesting to see if they formalise their interest in Eberechi Eze.

Interestingly, they have already spoken to Crystal Palace this summer, having tried to make a move for Michael Olise. However, he is signing for Bayern Munich instead.

Now Palace could lose Eze as well, and it would be amazing if they lost him to Newcastle. He would be adored on Tyneside, but Tottenham could be well placed to stop that dream becoming a reality.

Newcastle United are under pressure due to PSR, but it is also a situation that they could benefit from.

While the Magpies reportedly need to sell someone before June 30th to appease the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, they are not the only club that is under pressure.

Nottingham Forest are also feeling the heat, having already suffered a points deduction last season for breaching PSR. Luckily for them, it did not lead to them being relegated.

But it does look like it will result in them needing to sell, which could be bad news for their hopes of keeping Morgan Gibbs-White.

Newcastle United interested in Morgan Gibbs-White

The 24-year-old is Forest’s most saleable asset, and is a player who would fit in brilliantly at St James’ Park. Gibbs-White is extremely versatile, young enough to keep improving and experienced enough that he is already a leader.

A player who has been called ‘talented‘ by Alan Shearer, the £42.5million man ticks a lot of boxes for Newcastle, which is why the Magpies are interested in signing him this summer.

Journalist Graeme Bailey recently told Geordie Boot Boys that he thinks Gibbs-White would be a great addition to Eddie Howe’s squad, and he is certainly a player who Toon fans would love to see arrive should Forest be forced to sell.

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Journalist thinks Newcastle move is more likely than Spurs for Gibbs-White

Given Gibbs-White’s ability, he is attracting plenty of interest, with Tottenham Hotspur also keen. But journalist Dean Jones has told Give Me Sport that he thinks Newcastle are more likely to sign him, after hearing some ‘whispers’ on Tyneside.

“Doubt continues to linger around the potential of him staying at Nottingham Forest and my hunch is that if he leaves, Newcastle would be the best-placed to sign him,” he said.

“Spurs are being linked too but I’ve heard a few whispers around the Newcastle side of this that would make me side with them slightly in terms of being favourites at this early stage.

“He would be such an intriguing signing in that Newcastle team, a lovely player to have, making inroads behind Isak.

“We know the priority for Newcastle is to find an attacker for the right side of the attack but I would still keep an eye on Gibbs-White and how his situation starts to open up.”

Newcastle deal would feel opportunistic

Newcastle are in the market for a right winger, and that is where most of their transfer budget is going to go.

In contrast, a deal for Gibbs-White will not be cheap, nor is he really a right winger. Sure, he could play out there, but it certainly is not his best position. He is the most impactful when he plays as an attacking midfielder, while he can also operate slightly deeper in the middle of the park.

So he is not exactly what Newcastle are looking for, but that does not mean he would not be extremely beneficial.

Gibbs-White could allow Newcastle to change the way they play, while his presence in midfield could allow Joelinton to move out wide, which was planned to happen last season until all the injuries.

With PSR meaning that Gibbs-White could be available, this might be an opportunity that Newcastle feel like they cannot pass up. But some dominoes may need to fall, with the Magpies needing to sell themselves.

Only time will tell, as June 30th and the PSR deadline looms.