Alexander Isak new contract & £70m Liverpool transfer hijack - Newcastle United dream 2025/26 XI
Newcastle United have completed their first major signing of the summer, but some more big deals are expected to follow.
Anthony Elanga has signed a five-year deal at Newcastle and completed a £55million move from Nottingham Forest.
The Magpies are also targeting a goalkeeper, a striker and a centre-back as priority positions after landing Elanga. A midfielder may also be considered later in the window should Sean Longstaff end up leaving the club.
Longstaff was subject to a £12million transfer bid from Leeds United which was rejected by Newcastle, but a move still hasn’t been completely ruled out.
The club has also confirmed the exit of Callum Wilson this past week, bringing the striker position into sharper focus with an alternative to Alexander Isak being looked at.
Here, we take a look at all the latest Newcastle United transfer rumours and see what an ideal situation would look like for Howe’s side when the 2025 summer transfer window closes.
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GK - James Trafford
Newcastle are in talks with Burnley over a potential deal for James Trafford. A £27million bid was turned down last month with negotiations stalling but The Magpies have made a fresh attempt to thrash out an agreement this week and will be hoping to find a breakthrough.
Trafford is keen on joining Newcastle and has agreed personal terms, it’s just a case of whether Newcastle can reach an agreement with Burnley.
RB - Tino Livramento
Tino Livramento impressed at both right-back and left-back for Newcastle last season and will start the 2025/26 season as the club’s first choice right-back. He may also be used as a left-back in pre-season while Lewis Hall works on his recovery from a major foot injury.
But Newcastle won’t see Livramento until later this month after he helped England Under-21s win the European Championships in Slovakia.
He has been linked with a move to Manchester City this summer but The Magpies are keen to keep hold of him and value him very highly.
CB - Giorgio Scalvini
Newcastle’s interest in Marc Guehi has cooled after dedicating almost all of last August to trying to sign him from Crystal Palace.
The Magpies believe there is better value to be found on the continent and Atalanta centre-back Giorgio Scalvini is highly-rated by the recrutiment team.
But Atalanta aren’t willing sellers and a deal could prove difficult. But in a dream scenario, as this is, Newcastle will be able to land their top defensive target who, at just 21 years of age, has a Europa League trophy, Champions League experience, senior caps for Italy and over 100 first-team matches under his belt.
Scalvini suffered with injuries last season but it is hoped those are behind him.
CB - Sven Botman
Speaking of injury-hit defenders, Sven Botman will be hoping to get back to full fitness and his best levels at Newcastle this coming season after two tough seasons with various knee problems.
At the moment, Dan Burn is Newcastle’s first-choice centre-back on the left side but Botman, at his very best, walks into the starting line-up. In a dream scenario, a fully-fit and firing Botman gets back in Newcastle’s side and stays there throughout the season as he did in his debut campaign on Tyneside.
LB - Lewis Hall
Had Hall’s season not ended so early, he would almost certainly be in the conversation for Newcastle United’s player of the season. The 20-year-old broke into the England squad and was a consistent performer at club level before his season was ended prematurely due to a foot injury. He is expected to be back in contention for the start of the new season and what a boost that will be.
CM - Bruno Guimaraes
Last summer began with huge speculation surrounding Guimaraes’ future at the club due to a £100million release clause and Newcastle’s delicate PSR situation. Now, Guimaraes is arguably a club legend, having led Newcastle to a first major domestic trophy in 70 years in his first season as captain.
He is one of only a handful of players guaranteed to start and play the majority of matches if fit.
CM - Sandro Tonali
Sandro Tonali’s return from a ban and utilisation in the No. 6 midfield role was as close to a major new signing as Newcastle got last season. The Italian’s impact last season was instrumental in Newcastle’s success as he established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and helped transform a floundering season into the best in recent memory in a matter of months.
RW - Anthony Elanga
Anthony Elanga was Newcastle’s top right-wing target and the club have now officially secured a £55million transfer for the Swedish winger.
Elanga joins from Nottingham Forest having registered 11 goals and 21 assists in 82 appearances since his move from Manchester United. At just 23, Elanga is seen as a player who will continue to improve under Eddie Howe at Newcastle.
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ST - Alexander Isak
A dream situation for Newcastle this summer would be to tie Alexander Isak down to a new contract. The striker has been linked with a move to Liverpool this summer but The Magpies value him so highly that a transfer is unlikely.
Isak’s current contract runs until 2028 but the club want to reward the Swede with a new lucrative deal after scoring 52 goals over the past two seasons. A new deal would effectively end any serious transfer talk this summer and keep Newcastle in control in future transfer windows.
Failure to agree a new deal this summer would see Isak into the final two years of his contract next summer and at that stage, the club are more likely to be tempted to cash in before his value drops as his contract runs down.
ST - Hugo Ekitike
Now this is a blast from the past but a name that has resurfaced in relation to Newcastle this past week is Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike.
Since turning down Newcastle twice in 2022, Ekitike endured a tough spell at Paris Saint-Germain before establishing himself as one of the top young strikers in Europe this past season.
Ekitike scored 22 goals in 48 games for Frankfurt during the 2024/25 campaign but is being eyed by a number of Premier League clubs, including Newcastle.
The striker, who Newcastle had a £25million bid accepted for back in 2022 is now valued in excess of £70million and reportedly has an £85million release clause in his contract at Frankfurt.
According to reports, Liverpool have been strongly linked with the 23-year-old as an alternative to Isak. But in a dream scenario, Newcastle hijack that deal and keep Isak too.
Exactly how Ekitike would fit into the side alongside Isak is unclear, but both players are capable of playing slightly deeper or out wide if needed. Newcastle’s interest in Ekitike is genuine, but agreeing a deal with Frankfurt and a player who has twice turned down a move to Tyneside while also keeping hold of Isak, is wishful thinking.
LW - Anthony Gordon
Anthony Gordon may have struggled to live up to the heights of his player of the season-winning 2023/24 campaign but he was still able to contribute with nine goals, including two crucial strikes against Arsenal home and away in the Carabao Cup semi-final.
The 24-year-old remains one of United’s most valuable assets who will be looking to get back to his best levels this coming season.
He’s another player who has been linked with a move to Liverpool and that situation could develop as the transfer window progresses. But ideally for Howe and Newcastle, Gordon remains at St James’ Park and gets back to his best levels.
Substitutes
One ongoing criticism of Newcastle has been the lack of depth in Howe’s first-team squad with academy players and two goalkeepers regularly named on the bench. Champions League football will put added stress on The Magpies squad, meaning a strong bench and rotation options will be necessary.
The arrival of Elanga, potentially Trafford and the dream additions of Scalvini and Ekitike would see players like Nick Pope, Fabian Schar, Jacob Murphy and perhaps even Joelinton drop to the bench. Dan Burn would also ideally be a rotation option should Botman get back to his best levels and stay fit.
Lewis Miley, Joe Willock, Kieran Trippier, William Osula and Harvey Barnes would also be options for Howe to consider.