Newcastle United are looking to shore up Eddie Howe’s defence and have reignited their long-standing interest in a former Premier League star.

A disappointing campaign saw the Magpies finish 12th last season, missing out on European qualification. Howe’s defence shipped 53 goals and his best central defenders aren’t getting any younger.

Replacing Sandro Tonali remains a priority following the Italian midfielder’s £100 million move to Tottenham Hotspur. A new centre-back is also on the transfer chiefs’ to-do list and they are one of several clubs eyeing an England star.

Newcastle Eyeing AC Milan’s Tomori

According to Italian outlet MilanPress, Newcastle are showing interest in £30m AC Milan star Fikayo Tomori, who is expected to leave the San Siro. The former Chelsea star is also linked with Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal while Frank Lampard wants to take him to Premier League newcomers Coventry City.

Tomori, dubbed “tremendous”, has a year left on his contract with Milan, where he’s spent the last five and a half years. It’s noted that “a call from the Premier League” could tempt the fast 28-year-old to make a move.

St James’ Park is a possible destination and he has plenty of attributes that could help the Magpies battle for European qualification. He played alongside Malick Thiaw for the Rossoneri, and the German’s arrival from the Serie A giants last summer could help in negotiations should they take place.

Milan are “expecting a significant offer” for Tomori, who appeared 33 times in the Italian top-flight last season. The threat of Al-Hilal could prove problematic given money is no problem for the Saudi outfit.

Time For Newcastle to Think Long-Term

REUTERS/Raquel Cunha

Tomori is a player who has been constantly linked with Newcastle over the years and perhaps this summer is the opportune time to swoop. He has Premier League and Champions League experience and has represented England six times.

It’s been a difficult summer transfer window for Howe thus far as the Magpies have missed out on top targets. They were beaten to Victor Munoz by Liverpool, while Johan Manzumbi had been lined up to replace Tonali, but he’s headed to Aston Villa.

Tomori wouldn’t be a marquee signing, but he’d be a decent acquisition who helps give Howe more options at the back. Fabian Schar recently penned a new deal, but he’s now 34, while Dan Burn is the same age and clearly the Tyneside outfit need to start planning for the long term.

Celtic are among the clubs reportedly looking to pounce for a Serie A star who is headed for the exit door this summer.

The Bhoys will be hoping to successfully defend their Scottish Premiership title next season but have made just one signing thus far. Colombian striker Camilo Duran has arrived from Azerbaijani outfit Qarabag in a deal worth around £5 million.

More signings are anticipated, including at left-back, with question marks hanging over Marcelo Saracchi’s future. While they have held talks over signing the Uruguayan permanently from Boca Juniors, there’s no certainty a deal will be completed.

Celtic Eye Atalanta’s Mitchell Bakker

A report from TuttoMercatoWeb claims that Celtic are monitoring Mitchel Bakker’s situation at Atalanta. The Dutchman is expected to depart the Italian outfit after a frustrating past season, and a move to Parkhead is a possibility.

Bakker made just one appearance in Serie A last season, coming off the bench against Bologna. He spent most of the campaign on the sidelines with a torn cruciate ligament but still lacked game time once back and fit.

The 26-year-old is also of interest to clubs in Italy, Turkiye and other unnamed Scottish clubs. He has been with Atalanta since the summer of 2023 but has found game time hard to come by throughout his stay.

Bakker Offers Impressive Experience

Bakker’s versatility is enticing given he can play at left-back, on the left and right wing. If he were to arrive, he’d likely compete with Kieran Tierney for a starting berth in Martin O’Neill’s team.

There’s no word on how much Celtic are willing to pay or how much Atalanta are demanding for the Dutch player. But with a year left on his contract, it’s clear that the Italian outfit are looking to cash in on him.

Bakker, dubbed “magic”, has plenty of experience that could be of huge use to O’Neill given that he’s previously played for Ajax, Paris Saint-Germain, Lille and Bayer Leverkusen. He earned a Europa League winners’ medal with La Dea in 2024.

A new midfielder has been added to Manchester United‘s shortlist as they look to add a third new midfielder to Michael Carrick’s squad.

Youri Tielemans arrived from Aston Villa for £35 million following Andrey Santos’ arrival from Chelsea in a £50 million deal. When United headed into the summer transfer window, they were thought to be keen on making three midfield signings.

Replacing Casemiro has been a priority, and the club are exploring several options after pulling the plug on Ederson. The Brazilian had been set to arrive from Atalanta, but complications arose during his medical examinations.

While United seem to be eyeing a high-profile name such as Roma’s Manu Kone, they are also looking at a young midfielder. A report from Steve Kay of FootballTransfers claims that the club have made contact with Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Larsson.

Larsson is reportedly open to leaving Frankfurt this summer and Newcastle United have also held talks with the Swede’s representatives. As noted, the Red Devils are expected to look for a marquee player to help elevate Carrick’s team and Larsson doesn’t fit the criteria.

That said, the 22-year-old has potential, has been likened to Rodri, and has been earning praise during his time in the Bundesliga. Last season, he made 25 appearances in the German league, posting two goals and as many assists.

Frankfurt are believed to value Larsson at around €50 million (£42.5 million), which is a hefty fee. Despite this, Bundesliga expert Tom Weber doesn’t think the club will receive their desired asking price because the player “hasn’t justified his price tag.”

via Reuters

No offer has been made for Larsson yet, and it feels as though United won’t be prioritising the Swedish midfielder. Especially at the fee Frankfurt desire and if he were to arrive, he could be a last-minute swoop depending on how the transfer window progresses.

The priority should be signing a worthy Casemiro replacement and Kone seems to be at the top of the wishlist. Other areas of the squad still need addressing, including a potential left-back and a new striker amid Joshua Zirkzee’s uncertain future.

If United were able to offload Manuel Ugarte, that could have made a fourth midfield signing more feasible. But the Uruguayan suffered a knee injury on World Cup duty, meaning his potential exit is now off the cards at least for this summer.