“I’ve been hearing” – Exciting tip-off on Newcastle signings from Sky’s Keith Downie
Last week we finally saw a major signing arrive on Tyneside, as Anthony Elanga completed a £52m move that could rise to £55m.
More are needed and Sky Sports’ North East reporter Keith Downie has hinted at exactly that in an update on the Toon transfer front.
Speaking on his Youtube channel, he’s not only received word that more quality additions “are set to join”, suggesting the Elanga breakthrough could be the first of many, but also offered a promising message on James Trafford, who is nowhere to be seen in any of Burnley’s photos from a pre-season trip to Portugal.
Downie states that despite Newcastle and Burnley previously haggling over a £10m gap in valuation, he believes a deal for the 22-year-old goalkeeper “will get done.”
See what he had to say below, touching on PIF’s involvement to push through the Elanga signing, our lack of man power in transfer negotiations, our striker plans and Trafford:
Downie’s promising transfer tip-off
“The information I’m being given is ‘more good players are set to join’. That’s the wording I’ve been hearing,” said Downie.
“There are having to do one deal at a time, because there isn’t a huge amount of people working on it. No sporting director, essentially no chief executive (Darren Eales) at the moment, so they are really having to spread the load.”
“Yes they are looking at other players and making enquiries, but once they strike a deal and a player comes in, they can only do one at a time.”
“I understand PIF had a big role to play in the Elanga deal, but there aren’t many bodies to do the work (with no sporting director at the club).”
Striker next and Trafford to sign?
“My information is Newcastle’s next priority will be to bring in a striker. The goalkeeper situation is bubbling along in the background and I expect the Trafford deal to get done,” Downie said.
“But I still think there is a gap (on valuation). A £10m gap between Newcastle and Burnley. The deal still isn’t done yet, but I think that’s bubbling away and will get done.”
With a striker, centre-back and a goalkeeper still priorities we must address ahead of the 2025/26 season, hopefully we see another arrival soon as the players head to Austria for a training camp this week before Saturday’s clash with Celtic.
Newcastle United can sign Giorgio Scalvini ahead of Manchester United this month – on one condition
The 21-year-old centre-back has been labelled as Newcastle’s ‘top’ defensive target this summer after their interest in Marc Guehi cooled following unsuccessful negotiations with Crystal Palace last summer.
Sources in Italy initially claimed that Atalanta won’t entertain any offers for the 21-year-old this summer after an injury-hit spell in Bergamo. Scalvini made just eight appearances last season after suffering an ACL injury last May before picking up a shoulder injury.
But that stance is understood to have since softened and Newcastle, who have recently agreed a £55million transfer of Anthony Elanga with reluctant sellers Nottingham Forest, will have confidence they can tempt the Serie A side into a sale.
At just 21, Scalvini already has a strong footballing CV with over 100 senior appearances, international caps for Italy, Champions League experience and a Europa League medal to his name.
Newcastle rate the defender highly but there are reservations over his pace and injury record. The Magpies have been hit with their fair share of defensive injury issues in recent seasons with both Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles ruled out for extended periods with ACL injuries.
Scalvini also suffered an ACL tear last year that kept him out for the majority of the 2024/25 season.
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