Newcastle United have set a £100m budget for the summer transfer window, however Eddie Howe is not planning on making wholesale changes to his current squad, 90min understands.
While some big names such as Harry Kane, Kalvin Phillips and John Stones are among those who the club like, the Magpies will not be spending money for the sake of it in the summer.
We can confirm that Howe wants to mould the squad around what he already has, and that will mean a detailed approach to the window. However with a player pool in excess of the Premier League’s squad limit already, a number of players are expected to be shipped out.
Newcastle are putting together a plan for the summer, and now with their Premier League status all but confirmed they can push ahead.
It is believed that day-to-day bosses Amanda Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi are setting a budget of around £100m for the summer, but we are told that majority owners Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund have also made it clear that funds are, and will always be, available for any 'marquee' signings.
However, it is Staveley and Ghodoussi driving the current plans and we can confirm that much of their work done in January will be utilised in the summer, so interest remains in the likes of Sven Botman, Nico Schlotterbeck, Lloyd Kelly and Hugo Ekitike.
Newcastle brought in Dan Burn in January, but at least one more centre-half is on Howe’s list, and bringing in two can’t be ruled out.
Botman is a player who could not leave Lille in January, but the pursuit of him is complicated as we understand that AC Milan are leading the race to sign the defender, with Paolo Maldini working hard to convince him to move to San Siro.
German international Schlotterbeck is seen as a huge talent, and he admitted this week that he could leave Freiburg:
“Of course there is a possibility that I’ll go in the summer. A change is very likely, but nothing has been decided yet. I don’t rule out staying in Freiburg either,” he told Sport1.
Kelly is a player that Howe and much of his backroom staff have worked with before, and they believe he more than capable of making the step up at St. James’ Park.
Newcastle are also set to talk to Aston Villa about Matt Targett’s future as they look at a potential permanent deal for the full-back. The left-back arrived on loan in January and has performed very well for Howe, and we are told that Newcastle are keen to seal a deal for the 26-year-old – who the club believe could challenge for a place in England’s World Cup squad.
Reims teenager Ekitike almost joined in January after Howe highlighted his potential and Newcastle will be back in for him, as another aspect of the summer spending will be to bring the average age of the squad down.
Ekitike can play anywhere along the front-line, but he won’t be the only forward coming in as despite Chris Wood’s arrival and the presence of Callum Wilson, Howe wants another centre forward.
Darwin Nunez, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Patrik Schick are players who the club are keeping an eye on.
And as for the interest in Kane, we are told that it is genuine, and if the England striker does leave Tottenham this summer then Newcastle will be in the mix to land him.
Source : 90min