It’s been a mass exodus at Newcastle United this summer, and the club must make at least one statement signing to prove that business is meant over the 2026/27 campaign.

Anthony Gordon was flogged to Barcelona early doors, and long-term murmurs that Sandro Tonali wanted away from the North East came true when a £100 million move to Tottenham Hotspur was sanctioned. With the Magpies having stood by the Italian’s side through his betting ban, that was a kick in the teeth.

News that Bruno Guimaraes is set to up sticks for Arsenal rubs salt in the wound, and you can’t blame Eddie Howe for handing in his resignation.

Transfer chiefs at St James’ Park need to shift the mood fast. The appointment of a new manager will be a priority and, after that, Newcastle must prove they are still a club that the big players want to sign for.

Newcastle United Must Push to Sign Djed Spence

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Brett Davis

Luckily, Newcastle may have the perfect opportunity to do just that. The Magpies must push to sign Djed Spence from Spurs – it won’t be easy, but it will certainly be a statement.

The full-back positions are already a cause of concern for the incoming manager at St James’ Park. There’s no doubting Lewis Hall’s talent at full-back, but the England international struggled to keep his place over midfielder Lewis Miley at the end of last season.

Manchester United are said to be interested in a £60 million move for the 21-year-old, and that fee, combined with the club’s apparent inability to keep top talent, makes a move to Old Trafford feel a real possibility.

Spence was more regularly deployed as a left-back by Tottenham last season, but is adept on either side of defence and is naturally right-footed. He would arrive with 59 appearances of Premier League experience and, perhaps more importantly, off the back of a thoroughly impressive World Cup.

Spence, described as ‘frightening’, was a standout star for the Three Lions in North America and Mexico. The defender boasted a tenacity and flair that could help inject some excitement into a club that desperately needs an uplift.

The Magpies would be purchasing a 25-year-old entering his prime. Snapping up young talent to sell them on when at their most potent is the new mantra for Newcastle, but cannot be the only mode of operation.

It’s a move that would work for Spence too. The version of the player that emerged at the World Cup was significantly more impressive than his club performances, which regularly came under criticism as Spurs struggled last term.

Spence’s fight was questioned, but the defender proved he has plenty of that on international duty. Riding that high, a fresh start would surely tempt the dynamic full-back.

Roberto De Zerbi Open to Spurs Exits

It has been reported that Newcastle United are keeping tabs on Spence, with several other clubs competing for his signature too. That report adds that Spence is one of six players Roberto De Zerbi could sanction the sale of as the club looks to offset the £230 million already splurged this summer.

Spence’s heart did not seem in it for Tottenham in their relegation battle last season, and that could be why De Zerbi doesn’t mind losing the star, despite his England performances.

Speaking during pre-season, the Spurs boss said: “I was very clear at the start of my time in Tottenham. I said, who doesn’t want to stay in Tottenham? Who is not happy, is not proud to stay here, has to leave.

“I want the players to be proud and happy to stay here, to go on the pitch in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with big motivation.”

There could be no hard feelings in north London. Spence may have grown fatigued with the project at Spurs, but he has just proved he still has the bit between his teeth. Tottenham can balance their books and Newcastle can prove that the club still means business in the Premier League.

A Premier League star, 29, has avoided a prison sentence this week, despite having run a red light before hospitalising a woman after crashing into a cyclist.

Local police had questioned the player, who would have also featured at this summer’s World Cup had it not been for injury, for a while back at the start of July, but came to a surprising decision not to prosecute him.

A woman was rushed to hospital after the incident after being knocked off her bike. The victim, 48, was treated for hand injuries and signed off work for two weeks.

Since the incident, the player’s representatives have also issued a statement on his behalf, expressing their sincere apology for what had taken place.

Premier League Star Escapes Prison Despite Road Accident

On July 8th, in Tokyo, Brighton & Hove Albion and Japan winger Kaoru Mitoma ignored a red light at a junction, before crashing into a female accident.

According to The Sun, local public prosecutors studied the case, and considered charging Mitoma with causing injury through dangerous driving. But they announced on Friday morning that the 31-cap international will escape prosecution because both parties ignored traffic signals.

They said they had reached their verdict “considering that both parties were running a red light, and the content of other related evidence.”

Japanese media quoted updated traffic rules and described the junction’s complex layout as reasons for the prosecutors’ decision.

His Representatives Have Issued A Statement

Following the incident, his representatives released a statement which read: “We sincerely apologise for the great inconvenience and concern caused to the injured party, and all involved due to the accident.

Mitoma has been recovering from a hamstring injury suffered at the end of last season, which caused him to miss Japan’s World Cup campaign.

The Seagulls signed him from home-country club Kawasaki Frontale in 2021, with him yet another hidden gem the club’s recruitment team unearthed. The winger has since gone on to make 135 appearances for the south coast side, scoring 27 goals.

Manchester United are reportedly in the market for another central midfielder this summer, but this rebuild in the middle of the park could easily have been avoided to an extent.

The Red Devils lost Casemiro, who has joined Inter Miami, and Manuel Ugarte, who has sustained an ACL injury, this summer, forcing them to reconstruct their midfield department. Youri Tielemans has arrived in a £35million deal from Aston Villa, while Andrey Santos has joined from Chelsea for £52million.

The two new additions, alongside Kobbie Mainoo, are expected to hold down the fort for Michael Carrick’s team in the engine room next season, as well as one additional marquee new signing.

United are weighing up a £68million move for Aurelien Tchouameni, who is seemingly the primary target.

However, things could have been so different had they opted to make a more measured decision just two years ago.

Man Utd made transfer mistake selling Scott McTominay

In the summer of 2024, Manchester United accepted a £25million offer from Napoli for Scott McTominay. At the time, the Scotsman was a much-maligned midfielder at Old Trafford, criticised for his lack of value in possession, despite excelling at breaking into the box to get on the end of chances.

The United academy product had made 255 appearances across all competitions for the Red Devils, but the north-west club’s hierarchy felt it was time to move him on so they could focus on finding midfielders who were more comfortable in possession in deep areas.

This hasn’t exactly happened, as since then, before this summer window, the only midfielder who has come into the side in his place is Ugarte. The Uruguayan may be an efficient ball-winner, but he is an extremely limited passer, and has arguably done much more damage to United’s build-up than McTominay did.

Meanwhile, the Scotland international has gone on to thrive in Naples, netting 13 goals in his debut campaign at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, winning Serie A in the process. While there was no silverware in his second season in Italy, he again enjoyed another prolific season, scoring 14 goals across all competitions.

Elliot Anderson recently signed for Manchester City for £117million, while Sandro Tonali completed a staggering £100million switch to Tottenham. The £25million fee for McTominay to Napoli now looks rather measly.

Scott McTominay would’ve been perfect final option in Michael Carrick’s team

Some may argue that the final piece in United’s midfield needs to be an out-and-out defensive midfielder — someone who wins the ball back at an elite rate and is merely metronomic in possession, rather than progressive or creative.

This argument isn’t unreasonable, and while McTominay certainly doesn’t fit this profile, there is an equally valid argument that his set of skills would have perfectly complemented the midfielders already in Carrick’s squad.

Tielemans is an exceptional passer who will help United’s build-up by breaking the lines with his penetrative distribution from deeper areas. The Red Devils have been crying out for a progressive passer for some time, and they finally have one in the Belgian. Alongside the former Aston Villa man, in games where United dominate possession and are trying to break down a low block, McTominay would be able to leave the ball progression and creativity to his midfield partner and Bruno Fernandes ahead of them. He’d be able to focus on his core strength of being the extra man to break into the box, and this balance would be perfect for this specific game state.

Against more aggressive teams who want to reduce how much of the ball United have, McTominay’s combativeness would be useful alongside Santos. The Brazilian put up impressive defensive numbers during his time at Strasbourg, while McTominay has always been competent off the ball, making this a secure double pivot against the better attacking teams in the league. The Napoli man would also help relieve pressure with his aggressive lung-busting runs up the pitch.

As for Mainoo, the United academy duo might not be the most natural pairing. However, Carrick could probably find a way to make it work by dropping Fernandes for a game and bringing in one of the two new signings.

Ultimately, had United not made the decision to sell McTominay in 2024, they’d have a ready-made option to complement their existing options. This would’ve allowed them to invest in other areas instead of spending an outlandish amount on a new recruit in this position this summer. McTominay never would’ve been the centrepiece of United’s midfield, but he would’ve been the perfect squad rotation piece for the current iteration of the Red Devils.