Newcastle United

Could Kolo Muani be tempted by Newcastle after his Juventus loan?

Randal Kolo Muani is one of the strikers Newcastle United have been freshly linked with after missing out on Benjamin Sesko to Manchester United – and TEAMtalk can now reveal the player’s stance on his future.

Newcastle hoped to win the race for Sesko after actively bidding to sign the Slovenian striker from RB Leipzig, but in a tale all too familiar for the Magpies this summer, they didn’t turn out to be his preferred destination. Now, as the twists and turns continue in the Alexander Isak to Liverpool saga, Eddie Howe’s side have been considering their options.

One recent link has been Kolo Muani, who finished last season on loan at Juventus from Paris Saint-Germain and scored eight league goals in 16 games – as many as he had in 18 months with his parent club.

Some reports have even claimed Kolo Muani is at the top of Newcastle’s shortlist ahead of a variety of other names.

But TEAMtalk can reveal that Kolo Muani is still waiting for Juventus. The French striker has made it clear that his priority is a move to Turin, and for now, he has not opened the door to approaches from other clubs, including Newcastle.

Juventus are keeping direct contact with Paris Saint-Germain and hope to close the deal within the next week, also depending on some outgoing transfers. The operation remains complicated, but the two clubs are slowly moving closer.

Initially, PSG were not open to a new loan, but they have now accepted the idea, on the condition that it includes a mandatory purchase clause. Juventus are working on a formula of a paid loan with an obligation to buy for €45-50 million (£39-43.3m) plus bonuses, while PSG’s total request is still closer to €60 million (£52m).

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The gap in valuations is still there, but Juventus are trying to use the player’s will to their advantage. As long as negotiations between Juve and PSG continue, Kolo Muani is ready to wait, hoping for a breakthrough that would finally see him in Serie A.

The coming days will be key to understanding if the Bianconeri can meet PSG’s demands and bring the striker to Italy.

Tottenham also on Kolo Muani’s tracks

Another club on Kolo Muani’s tracks are Tottenham Hotspur, as TEAMtalk have been reporting.

In fact, Spurs were in contact with PSG for the forward back in January, before Juventus won the race for his services for the second half of last season.

Attacking reinforcements are back on the agenda for Spurs after the sale of Son Heung-min to LAFC.

As Dean Jones explained earlier this week, Spurs remain cautious about the Kolo Muani situation, not wanting to be used as leverage in negotiations between Juventus and PSG.

Spurs want to stay informed about a player they have held a long-term interest in, but his desire for a move to Juventus should be a stumbling block for them too.

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The players Newcastle have missed out on this summer

By Samuel Bannister

Newcastle have endured a frustrating transfer window, missing out on several targets they’d have liked to sign.

“My wish was for us to do our business early and we certainly tried, but it wasn’t to be,” Eddie Howe admitted in July. “We’ve had a frustrating time in terms of losing targets to other clubs. I’d be very open with that.

“That’s happened on several occasions. You just have to accept it. In order for a transfer to really work, in my opinion, the player has to be desperate to come to your club. If we don’t get that, the transfer doesn’t work.”

So, who are the players who weren’t desperate to come to Newcastle?

Dean Huijsen – Newcastle were one of many clubs alerted to Huijsen after his impressive debut season in the Premier League with Bournemouth, but they had little chance of competing with Real Madrid once his heart was set on the £50m move to the Bernabeu.

“I wanted to be here from day one,” Huijsen said at his presentation. “Since Madrid called me, I didn’t have eyes for any other team… I arrive at the best club in the world.”

Liam Delap – Relegated from the Premier League with Ipswich Town, Delap became available via a £30m release clause. However, Chelsea won the race for his signature.

“You’ve just got to go with your gut and hopefully it works out,” Delap said of his decision. “There are so many factors that go into it: I’ve got a good relationship with the manager. I know how he plays. I’ve played in this system before.”

Matheus Cunha – Newcastle believed they held the advantage in the race for Cunha thanks to qualifying for the Champions League, but Europe-less Man Utd beat them to it. Available for his £62.5m release clause, Cunha opted for Old Trafford.

“Maybe outside, I think maybe my decision, they don’t understand,” the ex-Wolves forward said. “But when you have always dreamed to play here, it’s easier to pick this decision.”

Bryan Mbeumo – Mbeumo was a top target for Newcastle, even though they eventually became concerned he’d be too expensive. Like Cunha, he made a move to Man Utd instead, bringing an end to his successful spell with Brentford.

“From the start, I wanted to join this massive club,” the winger insisted after his move.

Joao Pedro – Newcastle made a bid for Pedro towards the end of June, worth around £50m, but Brighton rejected it. Chelsea then came in with a £60m package, which was accepted.

“I think Chelsea is a big club and my dream was always to play for a big club and to win trophies,” the forward explained. “Chelsea have a great team, a young team and I think that’s why I came here.”

Hugo Ekitike – A Newcastle target since their first transfer window under Saudi ownership, Ekitike came back onto the club’s radar this summer and they saw a club-record £70m offer fail.

Instead, Liverpool won the race for the Eintracht Frankfurt striker, who would have been an ideal replacement for Alexander Isak – who, adding insult to injury, has been the subject of Liverpool’s next approach for the attacking department.

“It’s the best team in England and one of the best teams in the world. So yeah, it was Liverpool,” Ekitike explained.

James Trafford – Identified as Newcastle’s ideal long-term goalkeeping target, Trafford was the subject of a £27m bid by the Magpies. However, Manchester City had matching rights as part of the agreement they made when selling him to Burnley originally.

City ultimately made their own move for Trafford, who preferred to remain in the north west and re-joined the club whose academy he came through.

“I always dreamed that one day I would be able to come back to Manchester City,” Trafford explained. “This is the place I call home – it’s a truly special football club with fantastic people who make it such a unique place to work and play.”

Benjamin Sesko – Newcastle were the first to bid in the battle with Man Utd for Sesko – in fact going in with a second offer – but after originally being open to both proposals, the striker’s preference for the Red Devils started to filter through.

He ultimately made the move to Man Utd, who thanks to having Cunha and Mbeumo as well can now boast a front three that could have been Newcastle’s.

“The history of Manchester United is obviously very special but what really excites me is the future,” Sesko explained.

“When we discussed the project, it was clear that everything is in place for this team to continue to grow and compete for the biggest trophies again soon.”

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