Newcastle could add to their midfield options this summer to give Eddie Howe some strong options despite Santro Tonali potentially leaving
Newcastle have been linked with Aleksandar Stankovic (left) and Lamine Camara
Newcastle United will act quickly to replace Sandro Tonali, should the Italian leave St James’ Park this summer. The Magpies have slapped a £100m pricetag on the midfielder and have already rejected one bid from Tottenham.
United have been clear that some big-name players will have to depart in the transfer window, with the club needing to increase revenue through player sales in order to fund a squad rebuild.
That led to Anthony Gordon’s £69.3m exit to Barcelona, with Tonali expected to be the second key player to leave, amid interest from Spurs, Man United, Arsenal and Man City.
However, any funds received from exits will be ploughed back into the transfer kitty, and while Newcastle will be reluctant to see any further first-team stars depart, there remain some fringe players who they could yet cash in on.
Joe Willock has attracted interest from Crystal Palace, Fulham and Leeds United, with the former Arsenal midfielder potentially available for around £20m.
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Should he leave, United will likely need two new midfielders for Eddie Howe’s squad, with several candidates already lined up.
Howe will have Bruno Guimaraes, Lewis Miley, Jacob Ramsey and Joelinton at his disposal next term, but while they will not have the pressures of European football to contend with, he will want at least six first-choice midfielders to pick from.
Newcastle have been linked with several moves in this department, but one name which has remained top of the transfer wishlist for some time is Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara.
Lamine Camara
The 22-year-old is currently on World Cup duty with Senegal, but Monaco are open to selling him for around £50m.
He is fast gaining a strong reputation in Ligue 1, and with Howe keen to have more No 6 options, Camara is someone they have watched on several occasions.
He could be joined by Inter Milan youngster Aleksandar Stankovic, with transfer interest in the midfielder who impressed with Club Brugge last season.
Stankovic has only just rejoined Inter for €23m after the Italian club activated a buy-back clause, but they are said to be willing to consider offer of arond the €40m mark.
Aleksandar Stankovic(Image: Getty Images)
Other names, such as Kees Smit and Hayden Hackney have been linked, but should United follow up interest in Camara and Stankovic, it could give them a midfield unit worth around £265m.
What’s more, it could be just the combination captain Bruno Guimaraes would love, with the likes of Camara, Stankovic, Joelinton and Miley relishing a deeper-lying role, which would allow the Brazilian to operate in more advanced areas of the field.
Ramsey can operate in several departments, offering width, pace and a potentila No 10 role, leaving Howe with plenty of options across the centre of the park.
Tonali’s future remains unclear, although it feels increasingly likely that he will not be at Newcastle for that season opener against Liverpool on August 23.
However, if Newcastle get their transfer strategy right, they could yet emerge from the transfer window with a formidable midfield unit.
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