Newcastle United ‘want’ to finally complete £16m transfer as fresh James Maddison claim emerges

Newcastle United have rediscovered that winning feeling after narrowly seeing off Wolves last weekend.

The Magpies had been on a difficult run in the lead up to that Wolves clash, but they remain in a good position in regards to their Champions League hunt, just four points behind fourth-place Tottenham and with two games in hand. Next up for Eddie Howe’s men is a trip to the East Midlands to take on a Nottingham Forest side desperate to pull themselves out of the relegation picture.

In the meantime, we have rounded up all the latest news surrounding St James’ Park.

Magpies eye full-back

Newcastle are said to be interested in snapping up two Bayer Leverkusen stars this summer.

According to 90min, the Magpies like the look of Leverkusen left-back Mitchel Bakker, while the more high-profile Moussa Diaby is also of interest. Newcastle were said to be pushing for a £16million deal to sign Bakker last summer, but a deal never quite materialised.

It’s claimed Newcastle see Bakker as a long-term replacement for Dan Burn, with the Dutchman still only 22 years of age. There are also claims that the young full-back has fallen out with manager Xabi Alonso, potentially opening the door to a transfer.

Fresh Maddison links

Newcastle continue to be linked with a move for Leicester City star James Maddison ahead of the summer.

According to The Athletic, Howe believes Maddison could add a new dimension to Newcastle’s attack, and that could see the English midfielder become a key target this summer. Newcastle have already been chasing Maddison for around a year, and they may get a better opportunity this summer.

That’s because Maddison will have just one year remaining on his deal from this summer, putting Leicester in a potentially tricky position as far as keeping their star man is concerned.