Newcastle United are inching forward this summer, but it is starting to look like Eddie Howe is going to complete enough deals to establish his side next season.
The 2026/27 Premier League campaign is less than one month away, and when the Magpies kick things off at home against Liverpool (of course), they will be determined to stop the rot and remind everyone of their credentials as European challengers.
Newcastle are steadily adding signings to their team. Anthony Gordon left for Barcelona before the World Cup, but the Three Lions star has been replaced by Bazoumana Toure, who has joined from Hoffenheim for £43m.
But it’s the engine room that has formed the crux of a miserable summer narrative, and Howe is still trying to write a happy conclusion.
How Howe is adding to Newcastle’s midfield know-how
In Sandro Tonali, Newcastle have lost one of the most elegant and physical midfielders in the Premier League. He was sold to Tottenham Hotspur for £100m, which stings, but hasn’t generally been considered a significant blow.
However, as Arsenal continue to push for skipper Bruno Guimaraes, Newcastle can be under no illusions that his sale would mark a detrimental hit against the stability and progression of Howe’s shaking project.
Sure, Aladji Bamba and Sean Steur have been signed in recent weeks, but the young and talented midfielders have a combined age of 38, and it would be foolish to expect them to carry the weight on their backs that Brazil superstar Guimaraes has shouldered since joining the club in January 2022.
It’s all well and good that technical director Ross Wilson is employing a new strategy – signing younger players who will prop up this project for years to come – but Howe’s tenure, which came close to being cut last season, will fall by the wayside and stay there without a midfield signing who knows the Premier League and can start so many games across the campaign.
Newcastle do still have Joelinton in the mix, and maybe Guimaraes will stay, maybe Arsenal will fail to meet PIF’s valuation.
But if that doesn’t happen, Howe needs to bring someone else over.
Newcastle ready to bid for Premier League star
Newcastle’s marked shift in strategy could pay dividends in the long run, but Bamba and Steur alone cannot charge Newcastle’s midfield and lift them back into title contention.
Well, he might not be all that old, but Lucas Bergvall could be a neat way to wrap up a pre-emptive midfield rebuild at St. James’ Park.
According to Sports Boom, Newcastle are willing to offer as much as £60m to sign Bergvall this summer, with the Sweden international having handed in a transfer request as he looks to leave north London after two-and-a-half years. Thus, personal terms are not expected to pose a problem.
The Magpies have already seen a £46m offer rejected this summer, but they can be persistent, and hope to now beat a host of league rivals to a midfielder who could develop into a superstar over the next few years.
A graceful midfielder, Bergvall is also fiercely athletic, and he has the crucial experience in England that could see him star ahead of the likes of Bamba and Steur next season. The 20-year-old Bamba, for example, only started ten times in Ligue 1 last term, while Steur is 18 years old and had only just broken through at Ajax.
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Newcastle Transfer Target: Factfile |
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|---|---|
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Stat |
Bergvall |
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Club |
Tottenham |
|
Age |
20 |
|
Preferred position |
Central midfield |
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Preferred foot |
Right |
|
Career appearances |
151 |
|
Career Goals |
12 |
|
Career assists |
17 |
|
Major titles |
1x |
Indeed, Bergvall has already built up plenty of Premier League experience at Tottenham – and in tough conditions at that. He has played 78 matches for the Lilywhites.
Sometimes, when Bergvall is up and running, it is as if the ball is struck to his feet. He is an elegant and naturally gifted technician, and though he is not the experienced veteran that Newcastle perhaps need, he has developed a thick skin over two recent seasons with Spurs, and could be a game-changing signing in a role of greater seniority.
Bergvall is one of the most potent and incisive dribblers in the Premier League. He completed 62.5% of his dribbles, of which he attempted many, last year, while also winning 2.05 tackles per game.
This is an up-and-coming talent with the makings of an all-action midfield superstar. He could be the perfect Guimaraes replacement, down the line, but he could also play a big role for Howe’s side next season, providing more influence than Newcastle’s other midfield additions.
