‘I’m not a magician’ - Brendan Rodgers makes Newcastle United and Aston Villa transfer claim

Here, we round-up all the latest stories that have emerged today surrounding Newcastle United:

Brendan Rodgers makes transfer admission

Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers has praised Newcastle United’s transformation under Eddie Howe and their new owners, believing they will become an ‘elite’ side in the near future. Rodgers also acknowledged it will be tough for his Leicester City to match teams like Newcastle and Aston Villa because of the resources at their disposal.

Rodgers told Leicestershire Live: “I don’t think there’s any doubt [Newcastle will join the elite], but those teams can’t be embarrassed to say that either. It’s one of the ways to move forwards in the game.

“If you look at Newcastle’s net spend in the last year, along with the fantastic coaching of Eddie and his staff plus the infrastructure from where they were to where they are now, they’re looking to build and create something. They’ll do it wisely and sensibly, but they have the resources to do that.

“So that’s the modern game and there’s no doubt they join that bracket. Look at some of the other teams. Aston Villa’s net spend over the last few years. West Ham too. It’s becoming a real challenge.

“If you look at our net spend since I’ve been here, it’s about £10m, in the three and half years I’ve been here. Compare that to our competitors, like Aston Villa, West Ham, Newcastle, it’s over £250m. It’s a big difference. I think I’m a decent coach, but I’m not a magician.”

Celtic ‘waiting’ for Premier League interest in defender

Celtic are reportedly ‘waiting’ for Premier League clubs to firm up their interest in defender Josip Juranovic this month. Numerous clubs have been linked with a move for Juranovic with Newcastle and Chelsea among the English clubs said to have an interest in the defender.

Juranovic starred for Croatia at the World Cup and looks like securing a move away from Scotland. However, despite reported interest from England it appears that Italian side Monza are closing in on a £7m move for the Croatian international.