Newcastle United home in on Premier League full-back, plus more transfer news
Newcastle United is planning to sign Leo Shahar, an England under-16 international from Wolverhampton Wanderers. This move is part of the club's broader strategy of seeking fresh talent and improving its academy productivity. Moreover, Newcastle United has hired new scouting and recruitment roles from Manchester City, Arsenal, West Ham, Manchester United, and Leicester City. The team has also invested significantly in recruiting young players such as Alex Murphy, Charlie McArthur, Garang Kuol, Michael Mills, and Sam Alabi.
Jordan Davison has confirmed that he is joining Newcastle United as an under-21s performance analyst. The move is part of a larger restructuring of Newcastle's academy led by Sporting Director Dan Ashworth, with key positions being created and filled by recruits from Manchester City, Arsenal, West Ham, Norwich City and Blackburn. Davison held similar roles at Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bradford City. He expressed his excitement about joining his boyhood club and helping the academy progress even further.
Manchester United are ramping up preparations for the new season, with Andre Onana and Mason Mount joining the squad. The club is also looking to boost its striker line-up, and appears set on Rasmus Hojlund, with personal terms already reportedly agreed upon. Morocco World Cup star Sofyan Amrabat is also on United's radar, as the team considers strengthening its midfield and defense. However, a signing will likely only occur if current players Fred or Donny van de Beek depart the team. Amrabat's signing also depends on a significant fee from Fiorentina.
Arsenal has spent over £200m in preparation for the new football season, with notable signings like Kai Havertz, Declan Rice, and Jurrien Timber. Despite already securing their key targets, coach Mikel Arteta hints at potential further signings or exits. Meanwhile, forward Folarin Balogun is likely to depart this summer, with Inter Milan showing interest. Arsenal reportedly values Balogun at £50m, but clubs are resisting this valuation. His agents are working towards a compromise of £40m.
Arsenal are preparing for the new season, having already signed Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber. They are also working on further transfers, aiming to close the gap with Manchester City. Cedric Soares has been omitted from the pre-season trip to the US, indicating a possible move. Reportedly, Arsenal are planning to replace Thomas Partey with Southampton's Romeo Lavia. Meanwhile, Liverpool is also interested in Lavia, but are reluctant to meet Southampton's £50million asking price. The Gunners have also decided to sell goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo, who is in the last year of his contract.
West Ham United is reportedly interested in signing Harvey Barnes using the funds from Declan Rice's record transfer to Arsenal. The £100m+ deal has freed up funds for West Ham to explore options in the summer market. Barnes, currently with Leicester City, is valued at around £40m. Although Newcastle United has shown interest in the 25-year-old, no deal has been agreed upon. Despite being sidelined due to a minor problem, Barnes' future remains uncertain as Leicester prepares for its pre-season tour in Thailand.
Arsenal are said to be monitoring 20-year-old Dinamo Zagreb midfielder, Martin Baturina, after his impressive performance at the UEFA European Under-21s Championship. Despite Croatia’s poor team results, Baturina has received commendations. The Express reports that Arsenal are "tracking" the player, though a transfer is not imminent. Baturina, who has recently signed a new contract with Dinamo, made headlines last season with six goals and 13 assists in 48 appearances.
Laura Woods, a new TNT Sports presenter, labelled a critic a 'sausage' on Instagram following negative comments about Arsenal's £105m signing of Declan Rice. The comment led to Instagram warning Woods against hate speech, causing amusement as she questioned if 'sausage' was considered hate speech. Woods featured in Arsenal's announcement video alongside stars such as Aaron Ramsdale, Eddie Nketiah, and others.
Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta's desire to sign a winger could be fulfilled with the club considering a move for Barcelona's Raphinha. After spending almost £200 million on transfers this summer, the move would depend on the sale of other players within the club. Raphinha had a significant role in Barcelona's La Liga title win last season and might be sold to raise funds for other transfers. Arsenal has also shown interest in Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen.
Arsenal are reportedly planning to sign Southampton's Romeo Lavia, who is also a Liverpool target. Despite recently agreeing to terms with Thomas Partey and spending £105 million on Declan Rice, Arsenal are still interested in 19-year-old Lavia. Following Southampton's relegation to the Championship, Lavia is expected to leave, with a price tag of around £50 million. Although Liverpool recently recruited Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai for £95 million, they have been tracking Lavia as a potential replacement for Fabinho.
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