Newcastle United are still pushing to improve their squad this summer after a disappointing summer window so far.

The Magpies have sold Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali to Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur, respectively, while there is also strong interest from Premier League champions Arsenal in captain Bruno Guimaraes, who has told the club he wants to leave.

Ewen Jaouen, Bazoumana Toure, Seun Steur, and Aladji Bamba have already joined as part of Eddie Howe’s rebuild, but the club are now looking to strengthen their defensive options too with a move for a long-term target.

Newcastle Eyeing Scalvini Deal

According to Tutto Atalanta, Newcastle are once again showing an interest in Atalanta star Giorgio Scalvini for this summer.

Scalvini, who has been described as a ‘world-class talent’, has been a regular for the Serie A club for several years now despite being just 22, and has recovered from some injury issues to establish himself as a key member of the side.

His performances and potential have also caught the eye of Newcastle, and the club are now looking at him as an option to strengthen this summer as they look to provide competition for Malick Thiaw, Sven Botman, Dan Burn, and Fabian Schar as their centre-back options.

Atalanta are in a financial pickle for this window, and after Ederson’s move to Manchester United collapsed, they are now looking for other options within their squad that they could sell to help them raise funds.

Scalvini is someone the club would rather not lose, but it’s felt that an offer of around €45m (£38.4m) could shake the club into being forced to consider an offer, which is a different situation to the one that saw them reject bids in the past.

Newcastle Need Reinforcements

via Reuters

Newcastle had a very disappointing campaign in the 2025/26 season, and now the manager has made it a priority to rebuild the squad and get them back to competing at the top end of the table.

Defensively the team were quite open last time out, and the addition of a top central defender would go a long way to helping them stop leaking goals. Sven Botman’s injury issues are undoubtedly a concern, while Schar and Burn are the wrong side of 34, meaning they need to be replaced at some stage in the near future.

Scalvini is one of the top young defenders around, and bringing him in would help to prepare the squad for the future, while also strengthening them in the immediate future too.

Slavko Vincic, the referee who took charge of the World Cup final, has announced his retirement following a wave of criticism over his performance in the showpiece match.

Spain beat Argentina 1-0 thanks to a Ferran Torres goal in extra time, but the result was overshadowed by the physical, scrappy nature of the contest and Argentina’s approach throughout the entire tournament.

Vincic himself came under fire for how he officiated the match and handled the fracas at full-time, with critics accusing him of “corruption” in a petition on change.org. Now, the Slovenian has confirmed the final will be the last match of his career.

Slavko Vincic Retires Despite Being Named World Cup’s Best Referee

Reuters/Vincent Carchietta via Action Images

A statement from the Slovenian Football Association confirmed the news, reading:

Despite the criticism aimed his way, the 46-year-old was named the tournament’s best referee by both the IFFHS and the Association of Italian Referees.

Vincic has been part of UEFA’s elite refereeing group since 2019, with Euro 2020, Euro 2024, and the 2024 Champions League final among his other high-profile appointments.

He refereed four matches at the World Cup, brandishing a total of 14 cards, including the sending off of Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez late in the final and dismissing Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie during Mexico’s last-16 win over Ecuador.

Argentina Fans Set Up Petition Calling for World Cup Final Replay

Jeenah Moon/Reuters

The retirement comes just days after Argentina fans launched an online petition accusing Vincic of corruption, with over 100,000 people signing in support of the final being replayed. The petition read:

The petition claims video evidence shows the referee favouring one side over the other, though no evidence has been independently verified to support that allegation.

Argentine Football Association president Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia has since urged fans to accept the result, and there is nothing to suggest Vincic’s retirement is connected to the petition, with the timing more likely reflecting a decision to bow out after reaching the pinnacle of his career and an age that most referees tend to retire at as it is.

Arsenal are looking to make waves in the transfer market this summer, as they look to make history in the 2026/27 campaign.

The Gunners won the Premier League title last year and reached the Champions League final, and are keen to win consecutive league titles for the first time in their history, which has seen Mikel Arteta make an attempt to refresh his squad with new faces.

Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier have arrived, while Leandro Trossard has departed for Besiktas, but the club have now made a formal approach to add a top star to their squad.

Arsenal Make Approach for John Stones

According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have made a formal approach to sign England defender John Stones.

Stones, who has been described as ‘world-class’ by Thomas Tuchel, is a free agent this summer after leaving Manchester City following a decade at the Etihad Stadium, and is assessing his options ahead of picking his next club.

The 32-year-old featured heavily for England at the World Cup as they reached the semi-finals, and with William Saliba facing an extended period of time out with a back injury, Stones has emerged as someone who could come in and replace him.

Serie A giants Inter Milan and Juventus are both in talks with Stones’ representatives over a potential free transfer, while Romano has also revealed that Chelsea and Arsenal have made approaches.

The final decision lies with Stones at this stage, but Arteta is hopeful that his relationship with the player can help to tempt the former Everton star to north London on a short-term deal.

Stones Could Be Genius Signing

Stones may have had some injury struggles in recent years, making just 20 Premier League appearances in the last two seasons, but he says that much of that in the most recent campaign was due to Pep Guardiola’s preference, rather than fitness.

The England star is one of the best centre-backs of his generation in the Premier League, and his ability on the ball but also when it comes to stopping the opponents makes him an ideal option to replace Saliba in the short-term.

Alongside the ambitious move for Real Madrid star Vini Jr, Stones would also be a near-perfect option to have in the squad for experience and quality depth once the Frenchman is fit again, and the likes of Cristhian Mosquera and Marli Salmon will only learn from him. On a free transfer for a year, it could be shrewd business.