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HOWE'S UPGRADE: COULD AXEL DISASI SOLVE NEWCASTLE'S DEFENSIVE WOES AND TOP FIVE PUSH

The Magpies are reportedly eyeing Axel Disasi as Chelsea is willing to sell the French centre-back. This move could boost Newcastle’s push back into the top five.

Howe's Upgrade: Could Axel Disasi Solve Newcastle's Defensive Woes and Top Five Push
Newcastle Battles Dortmund and West Ham for Chelsea Defender

Reports say Newcastle is one of the teams interested in a Chelsea player who hasn't been getting much playing time. Chelsea seems willing to let him go.

Last season, Newcastle ended up in fifth place in the Premier League, but they're currently in 11th. They could get back into the top five with a win, but their defence hasn't been very strong.

Right now, eight teams have better defences than Newcastle. If they want to compete with the top teams again, they need to improve their defence.

So, Eddie Howe is trying to find a new centre-back. Caught Offside reports that Newcastle is one of the clubs interested in Chelsea’s Axel Disasi.

Chelsea is reportedly willing to consider offers for Disasi, who has only played 17 games in the past two seasons. Borussia Dortmund seems to be the frontrunner, but Newcastle and West Ham are also interested.

These teams are supposedly keeping an eye on the situation of the French player, who has played for Chelsea's academy team twice this season.

Disasi Competition

Newcastle has four central defenders who are currently fit: Fabian Schar, Malick Thiaw, Dan Burn, and Jamaal Lascelles. Sven Botman is out with an injury.

Disasi could give them another option to strengthen their defence.

However, signing Disasi might be difficult for Newcastle. It was recently reported that Lyon has contacted Disasi, hoping he'll join them.

They will be missing defenders because of the African Cup of Nations, and want to make sure they have enough players.

It's uncertain if Disasi would be interested in that move, but the report suggested that Chelsea might get more attractive offers.

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.

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Sandro Tonali is "very happy" at Newcastle

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.

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Newcastle United is missing six key players for the Carabao Cup clash

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.”

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