Newcastle Eyeing £112m Dual Deal: Top Choice for English Star and Potential Barca Departure

Newcastle United are making plans for their Champions League campaign, with reports suggesting they are pursuing deals for Leicester City’s James Maddison and Barcelona’s Raphinha.

Newcastle secured a spot in next season’s Champions League by finishing fourth in the Premier League, beating Liverpool to the coveted spot by four points.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is aware that the club needs to bolster its squad to compete on multiple fronts. They need to increase both the quality and the depth of their team in the summer transfer market.

Howe said in May: “We’ve had discussions about the budget. It’s never clearly defined because there are so many variables, but we know our position. You always want more when you’re in my position.

“It’s challenging as we’re entering several competitions next year, so we need a bigger squad. We’ve been thin on players this year, especially in certain areas. In the second half of the season, we had only four midfielders. An injury could put us in a tough spot, so we need more depth.

“We’re not there yet. You could see that against Chelsea. We’re suffering from injuries, which is a concern. We need to strengthen our squad. A couple of injuries could put us in a difficult situation.”

Howe also hinted that Newcastle could make some high-profile signings in the summer. Maddison and Raphinha are said to be at the top of their list.

Leicester City’s Maddison has been linked to Newcastle in recent months, with Tottenham, who finished eighth in the Premier League, being their main competition for him.

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Leicester are ‘willing to negotiate’ a transfer for Maddison after their drop to the Championship. Newcastle are in a prime position to sign the midfielder. The report suggests Maddison has chosen to move, and it would cost Newcastle £43m to secure his transfer.

The same source says that Newcastle are still keen on signing Barcelona’s Raphinha this summer, following their initial approach a month ago.

Despite facing competition from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, and the fact that the player prefers to stay at Barcelona, Newcastle are not backing down. They hope their financial offer and the promise of Champions League football might convince him. Barcelona hasn’t made a final decision yet.

Although Barcelona would prefer to sell other players to raise funds this summer, the players’ reluctance to leave is causing an issue. If they choose to sell Raphinha to Newcastle, the fee would exceed £69m. Barcelona’s head coach Xavi sees him as a player with great potential. However, the club’s financial woes may force them to consider selling him ‘if absolutely necessary’.

It is reported that a decision will be made after Barcelona put pressure on transferable players next week. Among those they want to see leave are Ansu Fati, Franck Kessie, and Ferran Torres.