Newcastle United are interested in signing Racing Santander defender Jorge Salinas this summer, although they’ll face competition from Manchester United for the player’s services, according to AS.

Salinas broke into Racing’s first team last season, making 34 appearances across all competitions, providing seven assists in the process. This form has sparked interest from several clubs, including the Magpies, United, Atletico Madrid and Porto.

Newcastle have long been mentioned in the conversation for the left-back, as they look for someone who can provide immediate cover for, and eventually succeed, Lewis Hall.

However, United have now emerged as potential suitors for Salinas, who they view as an alternative to Hall and who is reportedly available for just €16 million (£14 million).

Newcastle Eyeing Move for Salinas

REUTERS/Ibraheem Al Omari via Action Images

United have been heavily linked with Hall this summer, although Newcastle have reportedly informed the Red Devils that they won’t sanction the Englishman’s departure for a fee that isn’t astronomical.

The Tynesiders have already lost their manager, Eddie Howe, this summer, as well as the likes of Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon, while Bruno Guimaraes is on the verge of joining Arsenal. They aren’t prepared to make this mass exodus even more damaging by selling yet another key player.

However, the St. James’ Park hierarchy are chasing a new left-back to compete with Hall. Salinas has been identified as a top target after the 19-year-old made waves in Spain with his performances in Racing Santander’s promotion-winning campaign last term.

AS report that Salinas had an €8 million (£7 million) release clause that expired at the end of June, and that this clause has now doubled to €16 million (£14 million).

This modest fee, in the midst of a summer of overly inflated fees, makes the prospective deal extremely attractive to Newcastle, although competition from Champions League clubs means the Premier League outfit may find it difficult to convince the ‘complete’ teenager to move to the north-east of England.

Newcastle Are in a Difficult Situation in Salinas Saga

With such a minimal release clause, it’s likely several clubs will want to sign Salinas, and the reporting reflects that. United and Atletico, both mooted as suitors, have the financial capacity to trigger the clause and can offer the player European football.

If it’s a straight fight between the Magpies and the Red Devils, the latter are likely to come out on top and land Salinas.

However, in the case that Newcastle fend off competition on the continent and secure the youngster, United would then be well-placed to sign Hall.

The England international may feel he’s more within his rights to push for an exit if he has Salinas pushing him for minutes, opening up the chance he agitates for a move to Old Trafford.

Ultimately, the reported interest from United in Salinas has put Newcastle in something of a lose-lose situation.

FIFA have been accused of ‘blackmail’ by a nation that competed at the 2026 World Cup, as problems continue to mount for the governing body of world football.

It comes after the organisation’s president, Gianni Infantino, was forced to scrap his plans to sell stakes in the World Cup after significant public backlash. That included UEFA nations threatening to boycott future tournaments, with other confederations joining them in condemning the scheme.

Other scandals FIFA have faced in the past 12 months include Infantino giving US President Donald Trump the inaugural Peace Prize award and then Folarin Balogun’s red card being suspended following a chat between the two leaders.

Now, amid growing pressure on Infantino’s position, new accusations have emerged.

FIFA Hit With New Allegations After Failed World Cup Plot

REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake

The 2026 World Cup was the biggest in history, with 48 countries coming together to compete in the USA, Mexico and Canada. It meant many nations that usually have to watch from home had the opportunity to perform on the biggest stage.

Among the newcomers this summer was Jordan. The Middle Eastern country failed to register a win in the group stages, losing to Austria, Algeria and Lionel Messi’s Argentina.

Their FA’s president, Prince Ali bin Hussein, has brought up three issues in a damning statement against FIFA’s leadership.

Taking to X, he mentioned Jordan fans having visa issues at the World Cup, alleged tax payments that have been imposed through the US government and unpaid reward money for the 2025 Arab Cup.

Prince Ali wrote: “First, getting our fans into the USA: not all were granted VISAS, even though they had tickets -which we also know were sold at exorbitant prices.

“Secondly, we are being taxed by the US govt through FIFA for our participation. Money that should go to players and staff. This was not the case for those who played and set up camp in Canada and Mexico. But we happened to be in the USA so now we face these huge costs in taxes for having participated.

“Thirdly, we have been waiting for reward money for our players since December for the Arab Cup in Qatar, which is a FIFA event. The money our team should receive for having reached the final has not been delivered yet, while at the same time FIFA brags about how many billions they have in reserve.”

His scathing rant was wrapped up with the accusation that FIFA have ‘refused’ to help on any of the highlighted issues. Hussein even claimed ‘the situation amounts to blackmail’.

Leaked FIFA Email Looks Damning For Infantino

REUTERS/Henry Romero

Amid the serious backlash against Infantino, a memo sent to FIFA staff by secretary general Mattias Grafstrom appeared to suggest the Swiss-Italian’s days as president are numbered.

The explosive message was revealed by Sky News. It read: “A sad and reproachable series of events – which were thankfully concluded with the FFE project permanently abandoned – for as much as we feel dismayed by them, should not overshadow this reality.

“We have all been thrown into the middle of a turmoil, which is difficult to comprehend and accept, but, as Secretary General, I urge you to remain focused on what has always united us: serving football and serving our 211 Member Associations, hand in hand with all relevant stakeholders and in full compliance with the FIFA Statutes and FIFA Regulations.

“I assure you that you as members of the administration, you will be defended and safeguarded from the political context we currently experience. You do not need to worry.

“Individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go. The institution, its mission and its responsibility towards world football continue, and that is why we should always keep our professionalism, sense of perspective and composure.

“I also want you to know that my door remains open for you, and I will continue to support our teams, our work and our mission every hour of every day for as long as my work is valued by those we serve.”

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Iliman Ndiaye this summer, although Everton’s purported £75 million valuation could deter the North London club from making a move, according to CaughtOffside.

Roberto De Zebi has been rampant in his first transfer window as Spurs boss so far, spending around £235 million on several reinforcements. Sandro Tonali was acquired for £100 million, while Mateus Fernandes arrived for £85 million and Jan Paul van Hecke joined for £52 million.

Martin Dubravka, Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi have also been added to the Italian’s squad on free transfers.

Attention now turns to strengthening the attacking areas of Tottenham’s ensemble, with a striker and a wide player both on the agenda.

Ndiaye is a target for the Lilywhites, although Everton’s steep valuation and competition from a number of other clubs could make a potential deal for the Senegalese difficult.

Tottenham Monitoring Iliman Ndiaye’s Situation

Ndiaye has enjoyed two relatively productive seasons at Everton since completing his switch from Marseille to Merseyside in the summer of 2024. Netting eleven goals in his debut campaign in the north-west, he then followed that up with six goals and three assists last term.

This form has prompted several clubs to take a look at the ‘hugely exciting’ 26-year-old, including the likes of Spurs, Manchester United, Arsenal and Al-Hilal.

CaughtOffside indicate that Al-Hilal are currently best placed to land Ndiaye’s signature due to the financial package Everton are said to be demanding for one of their prized assets.

The Toffees reportedly want around £75 million for the former Sheffield United man – a sum the Saudi club would be comfortable meeting, but a figure Tottenham may deem excessive.

United are said to be the Premier League side most aggressively pursuing Ndiaye, with Spurs’ interest believed to be at a very preliminary stage for the time being.

Iliman Ndiaye Would Be an Astute Xavi Simons Replacement For Tottenham

It seems clear that De Zerbi is planning on using a mix of Conor Gallagher and James Maddison as his number ten options next season, in front of the newly-formed double pivot consisting of Fernandes and Tonali.

That likely means that Xavi Simons is pencilled in for a spot off the left once he returns, rather than a central role. The Dutchman sustained an ACL injury towards the back end of last season and will miss the majority of the upcoming campaign.

Thus, Spurs need a similar profile to Simons on this flank for the time being, and Ndiaye fits the bill. The Everton star is a creative wide forward, a prolific dribbler and excellent at operating in the left-half spaces, just like the former RB Leipzig man.

If Spurs can leapfrog the likes of United and Al-Hilal in the race to sign Ndiaye, they ought to do it.