All posts by n8rngtd.top

Newcastle United may have secured a 1-0 win over Southampton in their opening Premier League clash of the season, but the performance was far from pretty, despite playing most of the game with ten men.

Eddie Howe is under pressure to return the club to Europe this season, yet he will need to make a signing or two between now and the end of the transfer window to add some quality to his team, especially in the forward areas.

Plenty of players have been linked, including Chelsea winger Noni Madueke, but could Howe turn to La Liga in order to strengthen his starting XI?

Newcastle United chasing late move for La Liga star

According to Football Insider, the Magpies are ready to submit an attractive offer in order to secure the services of Barcelona forward Ferran Torres before the end of the transfer window.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke claims that the Catalan side are willing to listen to any offers for the Spaniard as they look to free up some funds, but Torres appears to be content at the club.

Could an attractive offer entice him to swap Spain for England? Only time will tell. He would certainly be a better signing than Madueke, that’s for sure.

Ferran Torres’ season in numbers

Torres played 42 times for Barcelona last term, yet only 20 of those came from the starting XI. Despite this, the winger still managed to score 11 goals in all competitions while grabbing four assists, showcasing his talents in front of goal.

Madueke also made the majority of his appearances last term from the substitutes bench, appearing 34 times in total, with just 19 of those starts. He still managed eight goals and three assists, a decent figure.

In their respective top-flight leagues last season, Torres registered more goal contributions (nine vs seven), shots on target per 90 (1.11 vsv1.03) and shot-creating actions (53 vs 51) than the Chelsea winger. While it may have been tight between the pair, Torres just edges out Madueke.

Torres also scored more frequently than the Chelsea starlet, netting once every 173 minutes compared to the goal every 216 minutes by the Englishman last term.

The Barcelona star would arrive at St James’ Park with prior Premier League experience too, having made a total of 28 appearances in the competition for Manchester City in just over a year, scoring nine times and grabbing three assists. Madueke, meanwhile, has chalked up just two goals and six assists in 35 top-flight games for the Blues.

His former boss, Xavi, lavished praise on the winger in 2022, saying: "Perhaps Ferran has surprised me the most. He's a player on another level, he's spectacular: how he understands the space, links play, doesn't lose the ball, his defensive work… he's world-class. He's a great signing, one I wanted, and a wonderful footballer."

Might a player of his quality be playing football in the Premier League come the end of the month?

Top target: Newcastle chasing £30m PL star who could be their own Saka

He would be a superb signing for Eddie Howe’s side.

By
Ethan Lamb

Aug 18, 2024

Manchester United shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to cut more costs within the club, this time targetting the Manchester United Foundation.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Ratcliffe looking for ways to cut costs
• Set to decrease funding to MU Foundation
• Has already reduced staff in recent months

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ratcliffe and INEOS' latest effort to try and make Manchester United more profitable is to slash funding to the club's charity foundation. A report from Sky News reveals that the Foundation uses around £1 million ($1.25m) per year, which will be curbed from 2025 onwards. The work done by those involved includes raising money for charity, putting on events for groups that include children, as well as providing gifts to those in need. The move from Ratcliffe comes soon after he axed funding for former players, which has earned him the nickname of Scrooge from fans.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It seems Ratcliffe is doing his best to ignore the criticism he is facing from fans and former players. With Manchester United still struggling to perform on the pitch, Ratcliffe's actions are being magnified to reflect the anger inside and out of Old Trafford. If he continues on this path, he may find his popularity so low that it is hard to recover.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Since taking over, Ratcliffe has stamped his authority on the Red Devils, approving mass redundancies, cutting matchday costs, scrapping staff bonuses and parties, and even ending support to Sir Alex Ferguson.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• (C)GettyImages
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR RATCLIFFE?

  It is unknown what Ratcliffe's next move will be but it is very unlikely that the cutting of costs will stop there. With everything the shareholder has changed so far, it is still unlikely to even nearly reach the amount United pays on a weekly basis for their biggest stars.

Aston Villa put in an enterprising performance last weekend against West Ham United to get the news season off to a dream start. The Villans came away from a tough trip to the London Stadium with all three points thanks to an impressive 2-1 victory, in a huge season for the club; they will play in the Champions League for the first time since its rebrand in 1992.

Indeed, it was goals from debutant Amadou Onana and Jhon Duran, who has been embroiled in a summer of transfer controversy, that gave them the win. The Columbian was close to joining the Hammers during the transfer window, but a move did not materialise. Those goals came either side of a Lucas Paqueta penalty, but Villa held on to get all three points.

The Villans’ first home game of the season, on Saturday evening, will see them host Arsenal in one of the toughest fixtures of the season. The Gunners will be hoping they can finally break their streak of consecutive second-place finishes and win the Premier League this season.

However, matchdays are not just the sole focus at Villa Park for the moment. With the transfer window still open until the 30th of August, Villa may well look to add to their eight signings and have actually been linked to one of the Gunners’ players.

Aston Villa target Arsenal defender

The player in question here is Arsenal and Scotland international left-back Kieran Tierney. The former Celtic star has struggled to find a permanent place in Mikel Arteta’s side over the past few seasons, and could now leave the club this summer.

According to a report from Caught Offside, the Villans are one of the sides linked with the Scot this summer. The report states that there is ‘confirmed interest in the player’ from his former manager in North London, Unai Emery.

However, the former Celtic defender has interest from right across Europe. The Bhoys are one of the clubs interested in bringing their former defender back to the club, with Premier League side Newcastle also considering a move, as well as Spanish trio Girona, Sevilla and Valencia.

In terms of a price for Tierney, the 27-year-old is reportedly available anywhere between a fee of £25m and £30m, a price that ‘will be considered suitable’ by technical director Edu and his colleagues.

Why Tierney would be a good signing

Last season, Tierney had a loan spell in La Liga, at Spanish outfit Real Sociedad. However, it was an incredibly frustrating campaign for the defender, who picked up three different injuries, meaning he played just 27 games in all competitions. 20 of those appearances came in the Spanish top flight, with the Scot grabbing two assists along the way.

Should he make the move to Villa Park, it would see a reunion with former boss Emery. The Spaniard – who signed the defender on a £25m deal from Celtic in 2019 – coached him for just nine games, but the 27-year-old still managed to get two assists, and it could certainly be considered a short but sweet partnership.

However, Emery would not be the only reunion for Tierney should he make the move to Villa Park. He would, of course, get the chance to play with Villans captain and Scotland teammate John McGinn. The left-back has played with the 29-year-old midfielder 40 times in total for Scotland, and the pair have combined for four goals in that time.

McGinn plays as a false winger on the left-hand side for Villa, tucking inside when his side have the ball to act as a number 10. Should he link up with the Arsenal defender at club level, it would see the pair form a partnership down the left wing, with Tierney having the licence to overlap his international teammate down the left-hand side.

This could be the start of a deadly partnership between the pair, who already have the foundations of a relationship on the pitch thanks to their exploits together for Scotland. Given the fact they have already combined for four goals, it could be a fruitful partnership from a goalscoring point of view, too.

The 29-year-old Villa captain was impressive in front of goal last season. He played 35 times in the top flight last term, finding the back of the net on six occasions, and grabbing four assists. It is certainly a run of goalscoring form he could improve on further should he continue the productive relationship with Tierney.

Tierney was described as a “warrior” by legendary left-back and Arsenal invincible Ashley Cole, and for around £30m, could be a smart pickup for Villa before next Friday’s deadline.

Although he has struggled with injuries throughout his career, the left-back is still a player of great quality. Given his experience playing under Emery, and established partnership with McGinn, he could be an astute signing by the Villans as the deadline fast approaches.

Emery could boldly bench McGinn & unleash Aston Villa's "sensational" gem

The Midlands side take on Arsenal this evening at Villa Park

By
Ross Kilvington

Aug 24, 2024

Former Celtic star Matt O'Riley's new employer, Brighton owner and chairman Tony Bloom, has provided an update on his injury after sustaining a horror challenge just moments into his debut last week.

The Hoops were very busy over the course of the summer, as manager Brendan Rodgers was keen to keep his side at full strength, as he eyes another campaign of winning everything that is on offer in Scotland, but lost O'Riley late in the day to the South coast club.

Kris Boyd reveals the difference between Rangers and Celtic after Old Firm

Is the former Gers striker spot on?

1

By
Henry Jackson

Sep 2, 2024

Celtic’s transfer window

Celtic added eight players to their squad during the summer transfer window, with their biggest capture being midfielder Arne Engels from Bundesliga side FC Augsburg, while they also allowed ten players to leave.

The Scottish champions allowed Mikey Johnston to leave and re-join West Brom on a permanent basis after his impressive loan spell last season. Other departures saw Hyeon-gyu Oh leave, as well as Sead Haksabanovic, Tomoki Iwata, and of course O’Riley.

It could have been worse for Celtic, as star man Kyogo Furuhashi was also being linked with a move away from Celtic Park. The 29-year-old emerged as a potential target for Manchester City as they looked at options to replace Julian Alvarez.

Pep Guardiola is said to be a “huge” fan of the forward and was left impressed by his performances in pre-season, especially when he played against the Blues in the USA. Kyogo was at it again on Sunday, as he played a big role in the club’s win over Rangers.

One of Celtic’s departures from this summer has already suffered a setback at his new club, and they have now provided an update on the player’s injury.

Brighton provide O'Riley injury update

Celtic’s biggest departure during the summer was midfielder Matt O’Riley, as he joined Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion in a deal believed to be worth an initial £25m and up to £30m. The 23-year-old made his debut for the Seagulls in last week’s Carabao Cup tie against Crawley Town, but he was forced off after six minutes with ankle ligament damage.

Now, Brighton have released a statement on the player’s injury, with chairman Bloom hoping to have the midfielder back later this season after his successful ankle surgery.

Bloom told the Albion Podcast on the club’s website, via Sussex World: “We are hugely disappointed with that horror challenge on Matt O’Riley. He had his operation today (Monday), and that has been successful.

"We are all really looking forward to seeing him back at the later part of the year. It's really important to bring the right players with the right personality. From what I have seen and from what I have heard, everyone is fitting in well.”

O’Riley left Celtic Park this summer having joined the club in January 2022 from MK Dons. He played 124 times in Glasgow, scoring 27 goals and chipping in with an impressive 35 assists. The midfielder, who has also established himself now as a senior Denmark international, played a pivotal role in Celtic winning league and cup titles, and Hoops fans will certainly wish him well in his recovery.

Vinicius Junior has apologised to Real Madrid's fans after being sent off in ther clash with Valencia on Friday.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Vinicius red carded after shoving Stole Dimitrievski
• Real scored twice with 10 men
• Jude Bellingham scored injury-time winner

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Brazilian winger was red carded in a wild game, after a clash with goalkeeper Dimitrievski. The Brazilian bizarrely pushed the Valencia stopper in the head and was sent off, leaving Real with a mountain to climb as they were reduced to 10 men while 1-0 down. Nevertheless, Carlo Ancelotti's side fought back in dramatic fashion to secure an important win.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Luka Modric equalised and Jude Bellingham scored a 95th-minute winner, but Vinicius has still taken the time to apologise on social media. The 24-year-old has been in impressive form in La Liga this term, scoring eight goals and registering seven assists.

• WHAT VINICIUS JR SAID

  Writing on X, he said, in a short message: "Sorry and thanks team!!"

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Real face lower-league Deportivo Minera in the Copa del Rey on Monday before taking on Mallorca in the Supercopa de Espana semi-final.

Saturday's match could be season-defining as both sides look to make their push for a Champions League spot

This weekend’s match between Juventus and AC Milan feels like a must-win for both sides. Two of Italy’s traditional powerhouses find themselves under pressure, and their hopes of achieving season goals may hinge on this match. Milan will face an added challenge with American star Christian Pulisic ruled out of the fixture.

Both teams have had inconsistent campaigns, leaving little room for further missteps. Juventus remain unbeaten but have been held back by a string of draws, sitting fifth in Serie A. Milan, meanwhile, have struggled to find momentum despite kicking off 2025 with a trophy. They currently sit seventh in the standings, desperate to climb the table.

As always, the U.S. men's national team's top stars take center stage in this matchup. For Juventus, Weston McKennie has been pivotal, especially in recent performances, while Tim Weah has shown flashes of brilliance when healthy. On the other side, Pulisic is a major absence for Saturday's clash. Pulisic is enjoying a breakout season with five goals and four assists, making a strong case as Milan's top performer this year. Meanwhile, Yunus Musah could be on the verge of a breakout under new coach Sergio Conceicao, who has already shown faith in the young American.

All three USMNT stars could play a part on Saturday, which means any of them could create the moment that, ultimately, alters their club's season. At the moment, those seasons need to change for both clubs, and it needs to happen starting this weekend.

• Getty Images
  

  Big implications

  Both Juve and Milan entered this season with Serie A title hopes. Those are probably gone. There's simply too much ground to make up and too many teams between both in the Scudetto. Now, the focus has turned towards the top four.

  Juventus have established themselves as Serie A's draw kings, having finished level in 13 of their 20 matches. They've won the other seven, leaving the possibility of an invincible season, but no one is mistaking this team for prime Arsenal. As things stand, they sit fifth, 13 points off league-leaders Napoli and, more importantly at the moment, two points behind fourth-place Lazio. For Juve to push for that top-four spot, this team needs to prove it can win games, and soon, too.

  The situation is just as desperate at Milan. They're three points behind Juve, although they have played one fewer game. It seemed like the Rossoneri were ready to ride a high after beating Juve and Inter to win the Supercoppa Italiana, but a 1-1 draw with relegation-threatened Cagliari halted that momentum. They've already parted ways with ex-coach Paulo Fonseca; now, it's Conceicao's turn to steer the ship.

  Conceicao will have a big decision to make, too: Handling Pulisic's absence.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  The Pulisic situation

  Fortunately, it seems Pulisic avoided serious injury. It didn't look like that would be the case in Milan's win over Como, a game that saw Pulisic hobble off just before halftime. Given his injury history, there were legitimate fears, but those fears were alleviated midweek when reports emerged that he was just dealing with muscle fatigue, not a new injury.

  Even so, that diagnosis doesn't dismiss the problem. Milan will be without him on Saturday and, even when he is healthy, the club will need to find a way to manage his minutes just a little bit better.

  After a month out due to injury, Pulisic returned to action for that Juventus game on Jan. 3. The Como game was his fourth of the year. Including national team games, he's already played nearly 2,000 minutes in all competitions this season. It's certainly been a lot, which is why Mauricio Pochettino was so concerned about his star's workload during his first few camps in charge of the USMNT.

  The fact is this, though: Milan need him. He's their best creator and, at times, their best goalscorer. Given the club's precarious position in Serie A, there's not much time to waste, so now the club has to walk a delicate line. When he does return, do they risk him knowing that muscle fatigue could quickly turn into something more serious? Do they bench him knowing a few bad results and the season is in danger?

  Those are the questions Conceicao will be asking himself after this weekend, particularly with Champions League games on the horizon. First, though, he'll need to figure out how to replace his star winger. Is it a straight swap with Samuel Chukwueze? Could Musah slide into that wing role? Could this lead to a change in systems? It's up to Conceicao to figure it out, and it won't be easy. Milan aren't particularly equipped to play without Pulisic, but they'll need to do just that on Saturday.

• Getty
  

  McKennie's importance

  Central midfielder, wide midfielder, left-back, McKennie has done it all this season. Where he'll pop up in the team feels like a mystery these days.

  He had a fantastic run at left-back, showing how he can help the team from that part of the field. Then, over the weekend, Thiago Motta moved the American star back into midfield for a key clash with Atalanta. He responded with an assist, playing in center back Pierre Kalulu for Juve's lone goal in the eventual 1-1 draw with a team above them in the table.

  Since December, McKennie has been a key player for Juve, putting to bed any doubts about him that popped back up before the season. The USMNT star himself knows how important this game is, too, as he hopes that Juventus can take a big leap forward against a team they feel they need to beat.

  “We want to win, to extend the lead over Milan and move up the table," he told Tuttosport. "We all have to give more because Juve have to win and stay on top. We have to keep our concentration to not make mistakes and also to score the second goal after scoring the first.”

  Those game-winning goals have been hard to come by for Milan at times this season. Despite having a plus-15 goal difference and the second-fewest goals conceded in Serie A, they still have those 13 draws. Finding that goal or two consistently will be the difference between success and failure this season, and Weah could be one of the players who can provide it.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  Getting Weah going

  Weah, like Juventus this season, has struggled to build momentum. When healthy, he has had some strong outings. Unfortunately, three different injuries have sidelined him this season, making it all a bit stop-start.

  Weah has four goals in just 704 Serie A minutes, a huge step forward for him. Last season, playing often as a right-wingback, he failed to find the back of the net. This time around, he's tied with Turkish phenom Kenan Yildiz for second on the team in goals.

  Weah, though, hasn't played much recently. He's played just 26 minutes in the last month and hasn't started a game since Dec. 14. A thigh injury was partially why, but Weah is now fit and should be good to go.

  Is he the key to finding the goals Juventus need to turn draws into wins? It's possible. At the very least, he remains a valuable supersub option, one that could turn the game on its head with his attacking ability.

Nottingham Forest have made some brilliant signings in recent seasons since their promotion back to the Premier League, spending a bucket load as they look to strengthen their side and avoid relegation.

So far, that has been a success for the East Midlands club. They are now into their third season in the top flight since promotion, and it has seen them finish out of the relegation zone twice in a row.

In 2022/23, Forest came 16th on 38 points, just two points clear of 18th place Leicester City, and 17th last season, six points ahead of relegated Luton Town.

Forest’s major signings since promotion

There have certainly been some huge deals at the City Ground which have helped to just about keep Forest in the top flight. They have now had five transfer windows since coming up from the Championship and have signed a whooping 58 players, including free transfers and loan moves.

Perhaps the most notable of these was Morgan Gibbs-White. The attacking midfielder made the move across the Midlands to join Forest from Wolves for around £42.5m and has since become a key man for the former European Cup winners.

The 24-year-old has played 83 times for the club, scoring 12 goals and registering 18 assists. He is already off the mark this season and has been rewarded with a first England cap against Ireland on Saturday. Gibbs-White has been pivotal in their bid for survival so far.

Two of the other notable signings since promotion in 2021/22 were former Manchester United winger Anthony Elanga, who cost £15m, and Chelsea academy graduate Callum Hudson-Odoi, who signed for Forest on a three-year deal.

The wingers have already made waves in the Garibaldi Red so far, and that has seen a real spike in their transfer values. According to Transfermarkt, Sweden international Elanga is now worth £18.5m, and the former Chelsea attacker Hudson-Odoi was valued at a whopping £40m according to reports over the summer.

However, there has been another marquee signing at the City Ground during the past few years, who has proven to be an even better deal than the dynamic wingers.

Murillo’s transfer value in 2024

The player in question here is Brazilian centre-back Murillo. The 22-year-old joined the club from Brazilian outfit Corinthians for a fee in the region of £15m and signed a five-year contract in the East Midlands.

He has been superb for the club since joining last summer. The Brazilian, who is yet to be capped at international level, has made 39 appearances at the City Ground, helping to keep five clean sheets so far. He has yet to register a goal for the club.

Murillo’s impressive performances saw him slapped with a hefty £70m price tag over the summer by Forest. a rise of around 337% since his initial move. That asking price came in the midst of interest from West London outfit Chelsea, who considered a move for the defender.

That sees him valued at a higher price than any of his Forest teammates, including both Elanga and Hudson-Odoi, showing his impressive performances certainly had merit to them so far.

To make things even sweeter for Forest, he is amongst one of the lowest earners at the club. According to Capology, Muriallo is currently earning £30k per week, the ninth lowest amount in the Forest wage structure.

Football scout Antonio Mango described the former Corinthians defender as a “commanding and productive” defender and should the East Midlands outfit decide to sell Murillo at some stage in the coming months, they can expect to get a healthy profit on the deal.

However, right now, he will play a key part in their Premier League survival for another season.

Nottingham Forest sold star for just £4.3m, now he's worth more than Sosa

The Reds have been searching for a replacement since his departure.

1

By
Ethan Lamb

Sep 7, 2024

USWNT star Naomi Girma has completed a world-record transfer from the San Diego Wave to WSL giants Chelsea

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Chelsea sign Girma from San Diego Wave
• Paid record fee for USWNT star
• Signed a four-and-a-half-year deal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Women's Super League champions have confirmed the arrival of the 24-year-old American defender, who has put pen to paper on a four-and-a-half-year deal. The record-breaking deal saw Girma become the first footballer to break the $1 million (£801,746) transfer fee mark in women's football.

Advertisement

• WHAT NAOMI GIRMA SAID

  After completing her transfer, Girma told the Blues' official website: "I’m so happy and really excited to be here. It doesn’t feel real. There are a lot of things about Chelsea that made me want to come here – the culture, the winning mentality, staff and players. It’s a top environment to learn and grow in. Right now, that’s what I’m looking to do. It was an easy choice for me."

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  reported earlier in January that Chelsea were competing with the likes of Lyon and Arsenal to secure Girma's signature, however, the Gunners reportedly left the transfer race in the final round of negotiations. The Blues have now broken the previous world transfer record held by Racheal Kundananji, who was bought by NWSL side Bay FC from Madrid CFF in February 2024 for $767,600.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images/GOAL
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  Girma was presented to Chelsea fans for the first time before their huge WSL match against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The USWNT star could make her debut for the Blues when they take in a trip to Aston Villa next weekend.

Looking to get back among Europe’s elite both on and off the pitch, Manchester United now reportedly want to beat some European heavyweights in the race to sign an attacking reinforcement.

Man Utd transfer news

The Red Devils had an impressive transfer window this summer. On paper, every one of their weaknesses was strengthened in some capacity. They welcomed Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui to solve their defensive issues, Manuel Ugarte to replace Casemiro, and Joshua Zirkzee to sharpen an otherwise blunt frontline. Yet, five games into their Premier League campaign, not much has changed.

Whilst some may believe that the summer transfer window was enough to see Manchester United take a large step towards returning to Europe’s elite, those at Old Trafford are seemingly only just getting started, with one attacking reinforcement reportedly eyed for 2025.

According to reports in Spain, sporting director Dan Ashworth now wants to beat Real Madrid and Liverpool in the race to sign Kevin Zenon for Manchester United in 2025. The Red Devils have reportedly scouted the Boca Juniors star, who has a low release clause amid the interest of several parties from around European football.

Solskjaer almost sold Man Utd star who's now Ten Hag's "standout player"

The special talent has become an integral part of United’s team.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 28, 2024

Just 23 years old, Zenon would fit into the profile of players that INEOS want to focus their transfer strategy on, given that he is under 26 years old and a cheaper alternative to more established stars. The left-hand side is a position that is arguably up for grabs under Erik ten Hag following Marcus Rashford’s year-long struggle to find form, which could see Zenon steal a starting spot.

"Underrated" Zenon is ready for Man Utd move

Completing a move to Old Trafford is often one full of pressure – a pressure that several players have been crushed by. Zenon could now be next in a long line of attacking reinforcements to have his turn at boosting Ten Hag’s frontline once and for all. With that pressure, Manchester United could unearth a diamond, whom analyst Ben Mattinson previously dubbed “underrated”.

That said, the Argentine is yet to reach his full potential and is not a player who’d be making an instant impact at Old Trafford as a finished product. Instead, the Red Devils would need to work on developing and unearthing their potential new star if they secure his signature in 2025.

With four goals and seven assists for Boca Juniors since January, it’s clear that Ten Hag would need to work on Zenon’s output first and foremost. The last thing that Manchester United’s current attack needs is another winger who struggles in front of goal.

Newcastle United are believed to have sent scouts to watch a Champions League wonderkid in action in midweek, according to a fresh transfer claim.

Mitchell's transfer plans at Newcastle

The Magpies will need to sign established players in the coming transfer windows, in order to provide Eddie Howe with the additional quality needed in his squad, but planning for the long-term picture is also of the utmost importance. Paul Mitchell replaced Dan Ashworth as Newcastle’s new sporting director in the summer, arriving from Monaco, and it looks as though the Englishman is ready to ensure that some of the best emerging talent around makes it way to St James’ Park.

A new report has stated that Mitchell wants scouts to head to Germany and France and make the Magpies the “best in class” when it comes to developing a huge pool of young talent. The hope is that not only will this ensure Howe has an array of prospects coming through the pipeline, but also gurantee the club can avoid any further PSR threat by selling off youngsters, pointing to Liverpool’s £50m+ profit this summer from Fabio Carvalho and Sepp van den Berg as an example.

Not only that, but Newcastle’s new transfer guru also wants to hire a full-time psychologist who can work with young players and the loans team to keep things ticking along. It is an intriguing approach that could prove to be very shrewd in the long term, and the Magpies have now been linked with a gifted ace with a big future ahead of him.

Newcastle sent scouts to watch wonderkid

According to Caught Offside, Newcastle are eyeing a move for Red Star Belgrade attacking midfielder Andrija Maksimovic, even sending scouts to watch him in Champions League action in midweek.

They are far from alone in showing an interest in the 17-year-old, however, with Manchester City, Brighton and Chelsea mentioned as fellow Premier League suitors, while in terms of foreign clubs, Juventus, Napoli, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, and Borussia Dortmund are all mentioned as being in the mix.

It is understandable why Maksimovic won’t be a name known by the majority of Newcastle supporters, but there is a reason why so many huge clubs are keen on snapping him up from Red Star. At just 17, he has already made 29 appearances for loan side Graficar, scoring nine goals in that time and also chipping in with three assists. At international level, he has capped a combined 18 times across four different age groups for Serbia, finding the net five times in the process.

Maksimovic played 70 minutes for Red Star away to Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday night, and while his side may have been on the receiving end of a 4-0 defeat, he still caught the eye, completing 93.9% of his passes at San Siro. He even had four shots, showing that he posed an attacking threat, despite the visitors being dominated.

Newcastle wanted to sign £50m ace who's been better than Gordon & Isak since

This has got to be one of the biggest blunders under the PIF ownership…

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 4, 2024

Unearthing hidden gems should always be considered important at Newcastle, ensuring that Howe’s squad doesn’t age together and there is always a fresh face coming through, and Maksimovic could be ideal in that respect.