NEWCASTLE CHIEFS STEP UP PURSUIT OF EX-TOP FLIGHT STRIKER
Newcastle United are reportedly keen on a move for Atlético Madrid striker Alexander Sørloth after scouting him. The Norwegian, previously a target to replace Isak, scored against Real Madrid, impressing Magpies' scouts.
Marca claims that after scouting the striker in a recent match, Newcastle United will want Alexander Sorloth in the upcoming transfer window. Diego Simeone, the manager of Atletico Madrid, values the Norwegian highly, but the Spanish powerhouses might be persuaded to part with the enormous attacker if they receive a strong enough offer.
Alexander Sorloth was acquired by Atletico Madrid from Villarreal for €32 million, plus an extra €10 million in summer 2024 add-ons. The striker scored 20 league goals in his debut season at the Metropolitano, replicating his incredible season in which he scored 23 La Liga goals.
The Norwegian striker is extremely important to Diego Simeone, who wants to keep him in the team. Sorloth has only started three of his seven La Liga games this season and has scored twice, but as the season goes on, he will play a larger part.
Given that Newcastle United fans attended a recent game to watch him, Atletico Madrid is aware of the Premier League's interest. Sorloth was scouted by the Magpies while the Norwegian was on the scoresheet in Atletico Madrid's impressive victory against Real Madrid.
Back in the summer, when they were searching for a replacement for Alexander Isak, Newcastle United showed interest in Sorloth. The Norwegian's physical attributes make him a perfect fit for any Premier League team, and following a fruitful reconnaissance mission on the Atletico Madrid player, Newcastle United is allegedly eager to consider a future move.
Sorloth might have been playing at St James' Park if the plan to sign him as an Isak replacement had come to fruition in the summer. However, considering the business that Newcastle United completed in the final stages of the window, the concept of signing the Norwegian would not make sense. To directly replace Isak, the Magpies acquired Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart.
Since it might not make sense to add another seasoned star, the Magpies subsequently signed Yoane Wissa on deadline day, which does satisfy their striker needs. For the right money, Sorloth, a former Premier League striker who has played for eleven clubs in his career, including Crystal Palace, might still move to the English top division next summer, but it might not be to St James' Park.
EDDIE HOWE SHUTS DOWN SANDRO TONALI ARSENAL LINKS AS NEWCASTLE STAY FIRM
Eddie Howe speaks out on Sandro Tonali's future at Newcastle United following intense transfer links with Arsenal this window.
Sandro Tonali looks happy at Newcastle, no matter what the transfer deadline rumours tried to stir up. For a little while, talk of him heading to Arsenal got loud enough that Eddie Howe felt the need to step in and set things straight. Newcastle’s manager didn’t dance around it—Tonali’s settled, involved, and locked in. Sure, coaches can’t always kill off all the outside noise, but Howe wanted everyone to know where things stood.
After those stories started swirling, Howe went straight to Tonali for a chat. He gets how fast these things can spiral. Newcastle fans have seen enough drawn-out sagas to know what uncertainty feels like, and nobody wants to go through that again.
Someone asked Howe if he thought there was more behind the rumours. He shrugged it off: “I don’t think so. That would surprise me. But there’s always stuff happening I don’t know about. As far as I see it, we’ve got a top player and a great person on our hands.”
Tonali means more to Newcastle than just his price tag or contract. They brought him in for £55 million, and he’s signed on until 2029, with an extra year option. He’s a key part of their plans, both on the pitch and on the books. Naturally, that kind of player gets attention—especially since Europe isn’t exactly overflowing with elite midfielders.
But Howe really wanted to highlight the human side of it all. “Sandro’s very happy here. He gets on well with everyone, and you can see he’s in a good place. I honestly don’t see a problem. Of course, I can’t control everything. If I knew where all these rumours came from, I’d be smarter. But Sandro’s totally fine. We talked yesterday. He’s focused on what we’re doing right now.”
He wasn’t done: “There’s no issue with Sandro. He’s happy and committed. But let’s be real—our best players are always going to turn heads elsewhere. That’s just football.”
As for the transfer window, Premier League spending rules kept Newcastle’s hands tied. Howe didn’t sugarcoat it: “Financially it wasn’t possible. We’re under restrictions and had hardly any money to use this window, so we’ll wait for the summer when the market opens up and maybe we’ll get better value.”
He admitted the squad’s still a bit lopsided, especially at the back, but he’s convinced that a healthy squad changes things.
For now, Newcastle’s just focused on the essentials. Keeping Tonali happy and at the heart of things matters way more than the latest gossip. His happiness is reassuring for the moment, but as Howe pointed out, nobody really gets to control everything in football these days.
EDDIE HOWE CONFIRMS BRUNO GUIMARAES AND LEWIS MILEY OUT VS CITY
Newcastle face a midfield crisis as Bruno and Miley are ruled out of the Carabao Cup semi-final at Manchester City. Get updates.
Eddie Howe has given the latest on Lewis Miley, Bruno Guimaraes, and Sven Botman as Newcastle United get ready for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final at Manchester City.
It’s another tough night ahead for Newcastle. They’re already two goals down after losing the first leg at St James’ Park, and now they’re missing even more key players. That third Carabao Cup final in four seasons is starting to look like a big ask.
Honestly, the stats aren’t great. Newcastle haven’t scored—let alone won—at Man City since Howe took charge. Their only win at the Etihad came way back in 2014, when Rolando Aarons and Moussa Sissoko got the goals in a 2-0 victory. Seems like a lifetime ago.
Injuries keep piling up. Tino Livramento, Joelinton, Fabian Schar, and Emil Krafth are all out. Bruno Guimaraes sat out the 4-1 loss at Liverpool with an ankle problem, and both Lewis Miley and Sven Botman stayed on the bench as unused subs.
After that Liverpool game, Howe explained the situation. “Sven had a tight thigh, and the advice was not to use him. That’s why he and Lewy were on the bench—we wanted to give them every chance to be fit. Sometimes, you hope something changes in the warm-up, but with such a quick turnaround, you just don’t have time to get all the info you need,” he said.
“With Lewy, he just couldn’t bend his knee enough to be fit.”
Asked about the chances of players returning against Manchester City, Howe said, “Probably our best bets are Sven and Lewy since they were on the bench at Liverpool. For Bruno, I’m not sure—there’s a chance, but the others are definitely out.”
But just before the City game, Howe gave another update. Turns out, both Bruno and Miley are out for this one. “Yeah, Bruno’s doing well, but I don’t think he’ll make this game—maybe the weekend. Sven Botman is okay, but I’m not sure about Lewy either.”