Aaron Stokes has claimed on the Everything is Black and White podcast that this could be a big week for Newcastle United.
The Magpies have managed to bring in one new recruit this summer in former loanee Matt Targett, while many may have been expecting more business to have been done by now.
Hugo Ekitike and Sven Botman have been heavily tipped with moves to Tyneside after failed attempts in January, although it appears in recent days that both of those moves have come to an impasse due to different factors.
However, Stokes believes that this week could finally be a big one for Newcastle in the transfer market.
He said: “I think this week’s going to be a big week in terms of transfers. The club have made it no secret that they want deals done quickly and these two are definitely the closest deals to happening.
“Both players on their holidays, Botman especially wanted his future sort of wrapped up before he went on holiday after international duty; that hasn’t been the case. There’s talk that he’s having another meeting with Lille this week that will hopefully speed up the process, but there’s still no news as to whether Newcastle or Milan are going to win that battle for him.
Will Newcastle make a signing this week?
Yes!
No!
“It does feel like he’s sort of holding out for Milan, it just depends on whether they can get their takeover issues sorted sooner rather than later.
“For Ekitike, we know that there’s been a fee agreed with Reims and Newcastle. Personal terms between Ekitike and Newcastle are close to being agreed, but there’s just a few sticking points to be ironed out.
“We did a piece on Friday that essentially said it’s close but there’s still agent fees and other sorts of sticking points that haven’t been finalised yet. So this week will be big, and I think if we’re looking at the second signing of the summer, then it’s definitely going to be one of those two, and hopefully sooner rather than later.”
TIF Thoughts on Newcastle’s summer business…
Given the wealth of Newcastle’s owners, it would likely have been expected that they flexed their financial muscles early on and got some deals completed, however, they seem to be trying to get smart deals done on their terms and not paying way over the odds for every player, as showcased by their refusal to pay Lille’s extra demands for Botman.
Eddie Howe would likely prefer to have as many signings in as possible before pre-season begins this summer, but if he has to wait a little while longer for his top targets and the right players that will fit into the squad and dressing room, he’d surely be willing to wait and land those players, so we feel there shouldn’t be too much concern despite the wait for more additions continuing.