Newcastle United rumours: Ex-Magpies striker could join divisional rivals, shock name linked with Everton job

Last season, Newcastle left it late to finally find their form, but still managed to avoid relegation with time to spare thanks to an excellent run of results towards the tail-end of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Magpies winger Ryan Fraser is set to be in action at Euro 2020 for Scotland this month, with group stage matches against the Czech Republic, England and Croatia on the horizon. He revealed: “I’ve been training for the last three or four weeks now. It’s not like I’ve not been doing anything.

“People thought I was coming here with no fitness but I’ve been working hard and been keeping in touch with the gaffer so he’s known the ins and out of the last six weeks.

“I am fully fit and I’ll use the next two games to hopefully get minutes in and be ready.”

Elsewhere, football pundit Alex McLeish has urged Newcastle to re-sign former loan star Danny Rose following his release from Spurs, and said: "Rose is a great player. In fact, Newcastle fans actually would love Danny Rose to go back.

“With Danny, it’s like does he love football? He spoke about: ‘I’ll just walk away and retire then,’ last year when he was maybe in the huff a wee bit.

“But what a good player Newcastle would get on a free transfer. Incredible.”