After their seventh placed finish in the Premier League saw them narrowly miss out on European football, Newcastle United's mission for this summer will be to assemble a team that can break into the top six and beyond next season.
St. James' Park braced for incomings this summer
Reinforcements in defence appear to be at the forefront of the Magies' plans for the transfer window. Newcastle had long courted a move for Fulham centre back Tosin Adarabioyo, however the 26-year-old now looks set to sign for Chelsea. After missing out on their main target, the Magpies are rumoured to be interested in a move for Swedish defender Dean Huijsen who spent last season on loan at Roma.
Newcastle could replace Guimaraes by signing £50m "Aldi Jude Bellingham"
He has 15 goals and assists in the Premier League this season…
ByJoe NuttallJun 1, 2024
Newcastle are also set to confirm the signing of Lloyd Kelly in the coming days. The English defender is available on a free transfer this summer after his deal with Bournemouth expired at the end of last season. There also reports suggesting that the Magpies are eager to bolster their attack with a move for Brentford's Bryan Mbuemo too.
With Newcastle clearly desperate to bring in new players all over the pitch, attention has now turned to a position that was a thorn in Eddie Howe's side for much of last season.
Newcastle submit bid for Valencia goalkeeper
As first reported by Sport Witness, the Spanish press are suggesting that Newcastle have submitted a bid for Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. The Magpies' interest in the Georgian shot stopper has long been known however, this latest development has seen a formal bid for the player confirmed.
The outlet suggests that Newcastle have submitted an offer of £35million for Mamardashvili's services with this fee likely enough to get the deal over the line, sitting just over their asking price.
Newcastle suffered something of a crisis between the sticks last season with first choice keeper Nick Pope limited to just fifteen appearances owing to a shoulder injury. Martin Dubravka stepped up in his absence, but it is clear that those at the top of the club want to sign a new number one this summer, or a challenger for Pope at the very least.
After starting in all but one game last season, Mamardashvili would offer the solidity in net that Newcastle spent much of last season crying out for. Not only would the 6 foot 5 Georgian be reliable, but he would also be a quality addition to the Magpies' side.
Since joining Valencia permanently in 2022, Mamardashvili has gone on to cement himself as the side's number one. Speaking to the press back in April, Valencia boss Ruben Baraja was full of praise for his goalkeeper: "You need a goalkeeper who earns you points, like Giorgi.
"I think he is an established goalkeeper, with a great career, who is at a high level. The data confirms it. We don't know his ceiling, he has continuous growth."
If Newcastle are to go one better next season and secure European football, signing a highly rated keeper like Mamardashvili would be a major step towards breaking into the top six again.
