Newcastle United and Spurs linked with £22m ex-Monaco star, ex-Magpies ace seals surprise new move

The Magpies could hand debuts a number of their new stars, including midfielder Bruno Guimarães and centre-back Dan Burn.

One deal Newcastle failed to get over the line was a loan move for Man Utd midfielder Jesse Lingard, who ended up staying at Old Trafford.

Ex-Magpies man Alan Smith gave his verdict on the failed move, and contended: “I’m sure that Jesse would want to stay at [Manchester] United and force his way into the team, or at least into the squad every week.

“For any player, and I’ve been there myself, leaving Man United is tough because of the stature of the club, wherever you go you will always feel like you’re dropping down.

“I think he surprised a lot of people when he went to West Ham, just how good he was. He surprised people with his performances, and I think that tells you how difficult and exactly what the demands at Manchester United are.

"He went there and he set the world alight at West Ham and came back to Man United hoping to bridge that gap and get into the team, but it’s not quite happened for him.

“We don’t know the conversation that has happened with the coach, but only Jesse himself will himself know whether he really wanted to leave, because there’s a big difference between someone saying you can leave and the player actually wanting to leave.”

Take a look at all the latest stories from the Premier League, as the reaction to the transfer window and build-up to the top tier's return continue: