Why Newcastle could replace Anderson by signing £34m star

Newcastle United are being battered and bruised in the summer transfer market for the second year in a row, but there is still plenty of time for Eddie Howe and co to put it all to rights.

There is still more than one month until the 2026/27 Premier League season kicks off, and the closure of the market is further away, but the severity of the Magpies’ drop-off last season demands a sharp and emphatic lift.

Sadly, the remarkable success in the transfer market at the start of the PIF era has long since ebbed away, and Howe and co must feel like they are in purgatory.

Where did it begin? Well, some might point toward the rueful decision to sell Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest two years ago.

Why Newcastle still miss Elliot Anderson

His name has become something of a touchy subject on Tyneside. Newcastle sold Anderson to a divisional rival for £35m, and now he is “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League“, according to Thomas Tuchel.

This summer, the Three Lions midfielder completed a £116m move to Manchester City, and that is where he will probably remain over the coming years, ending Toon hopes of a big reunion.

He brings all the qualities Newcastle need to return to the top, remarkably winning 7.8 duels per top-flight game last year. It’s the ultimate ‘What If?’ on Tyneside.

It’s made all the more frustrating now that Sandro Tonali has got his wish and left St. James’ Park, completing a £100m transfer to Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month.

With Bruno Guimaraes also in Premier League champions Arsenal’s sights, Newcastle need to add some experience in the middle of the park, and Anderson, fully-fledged, would have been the perfect fit.

However, despite the setbacks sustained over the past several weeks of the window, there is still plenty of time for the Magpies to sign an exciting alternative.

Newcastle join race to sign their new Anderson

Newcastle might have missed out on Johan Manzambi, the Freiburg midfielder joining Aston Villa instead, but they have signed precocious prospect Sean Steur from Ajax for £23m.

The hunt for midfielders continues. Newcastle have emerged as contenders to sign wantaway Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall, having submitted a bid to sign the 20-year-old.

A technically sound and progressive midfielder, Bergvall is a top talent, but he undobutedly ebbed and flowed at Spurs last year, and Newcastle may actually have found an even bigger talent.

That’s according to Brazilian outlet O Globo, who have revealed that Newcastle are considering a formal approach to sign Botafogo midfielder Danilo.

The former Forest man is willing to reject the advances of Palmeiras to join a top European club, suggesting he is open to moving to St James’, having failed to reach an agreement with Russian side Zenit.

Valued at €40m (£34m), the 25-year-old is an attractive commodity for any ambitious outfit worth their salt, and given the Magpies’ recent history, they will want to get this one over the line sharpish.

He did not start at the World Cup, averaging 11 minutes a game across four substitute appearances, but the left-footed Danilo is quickly establishing himself as a midfielder with all the attributes to thrive in the Premier League, having already featured for Nottingham Forest before being sold in 2025.

That Tricky Trees connection could see Danilo cement himself as Newcastle’s new version of Anderson, sharing a range of qualities for the Three Lions star.

Indeed, across 12 appearances in the Brasileirao Serie A, he has scored seven goals and created 1.8 chances and recovered 5.2 balls per game on average, emulating Anderson in that.

It would be an exciting signing, adding a player to the fold who knows resilience in the Premier League and who has since come on leaps and bounds.

The Premier League is a tough place to come, but Danilo has the physicality and technical ability to prove a real threat. There is a reason that Carlo Ancelotti drafted him into his World Cup squad with Selecao.

Whether Newcastle actually manage to sign a top target remains to be seen, but there’s no question that the Anderson-esque Danilo has the skillset to make a real difference for Howe’s squad next year.