13 players released by Newcastle United - including first team appearance maker

Newcastle United have announced who they have retained and who they have released from their academy and as many as 13 players have realised their fate is away from St James' Park.

A statement was released from the club and one of the names leaving is Tom Allan, who has made a first team appearance. Some other lads leaving are under-23s Ryan Barrett, Brad Cross, Oisin McEntee, Mo Sangare, Reagan Thomson, Jake Turner and Adam Wilson.



On a positive note, the club have confirmed that offers have been made to Matthew Bondswell, Niall Brookwell, Will Brown, Lewis Cass, Joe Oliver and Dylan Stephenson.

Steve Harper made a comment on the players leaving, "I'd like to thank each and every player for their efforts during their time at the academy. Many of the players leaving us have been here for several years so this will be an emotional time as they take a new step on their career path."

He went on"Our aim is to not just develop good footballers that can play in the first team, but good people who are equipped and prepared for life in or out of the game, and I'm incredibly proud of the Academy staff for driving and supporting that ethos."


It will be interesting times at the Academy under new ownership as huge investment is expected over the next several years with the view to turn NUFC Academy into on the countries best.

Follow me on Twitter @ToonBano

Newcastle United five January signings ranked best to worst - No.1 may shock you

In January, Newcastle were desperate for points and desperate for players to get them out of relegation trouble. The new owners didn't let Eddie Howe down and invested £93m on five new players. But which signing was the best? Here's my take on the famous five: 



5. Chris Wood

Newcastle were desperate for a striker in January after losing Callum Wilson to a serious injury that was potentially going to see him be out for the season. 

Desperate times call for desperate measures so the club decided to activate a £25m release clause in Chris Wood's contract, as it was guaranteed to be concluded quickly before the Watford home game.

The idea was it weakened Burnley also, but if I'm being honest, Wood only scored 3 goals for them so it wasn't like they were instantly doomed without him.


Wood only added two more goals to his overall tally on Tyneside, with one being a penalty, which is a very poor return even without the eye watering fee paid.

We won games with him, we needed him but of the 5 signings we brought in, he has to be last. Soz Woody lad.


4. Matt Targett



The quiet lad was a quiet transfer in all truth, or should I say loan signing, as we took him off the Aston Villa bench and into a first team playing in front of Wor Flags every other week. He won the lottery there.

Solid defensively, he was a very good signing so hats off to Eddie Howe and the scouting team for having faith in him. With Lewis and Dummett both injured, we really needed a left back to come in and hit the ground running.

Targett did that with aplomb with some top class blocks, hard tackles and little bits of class on the ball on top. His composure to pick out Willock in the last minute vs Leicester being a highlight to start off that magic Bruno winning goal.

It looks like we will not be making his loan move permanent, as we look to Renan Lodi to come in and I also think Matty wants to move down south closer to his family, with Fulham sniffing around for his signature.

Cheers for your hard work though lad, Bruno will definitely miss you.


3. Dan Burn

What can you say about Big Dan Burn that hasn't already been said? I can not believe how good he has been in a Black and White shirt. The boy has come home and my God he's made the most of it.

Born in Blyth, this 6ft7 goliath squeezed his massive frame into an East Stand seat with season ticket in hand back in the day, to watch Sir Bobby's team play in Champions League nights. He seems determined to bring those nights back by the looks of it.


Dominant in the air, composed with the ball at his feet, surprisingly quick, organiser, there is nothing Dan Burn can't do. Well, apart from score. For someone so good with defensive headers, his heading of the ball towards the opposition goal is shocking.

He is amazingly the most expensive centre back we've ever brought in at £13m, beating the record Coloccini held for many years and it was money well spent. That record may be beaten in the summer though...

The fact Big Dan is only third on this list just goes to show how unreal our January window was.


2. Bruno Guimarães



Bruno! Bruno! Bruno! The cry you have heard every week for the past three months. The cry you will hear for hopefully many years to come. WHAT A SIGNING.

Can you actually believe Bruno Guimarães plays for Newcastle? When we signed him I didn't want to get too excited just incase he turned into a bit of a disappointment. Like he wouldn't suit our team or settle in the area.

Pfft! Forget that. He's not only settled in but dominating Premier League games, sometimes with ease. The home game vs Arsenal was an exhibition. The fact they were supposedly after him is hilarious.


He came with a warning "do not expect goals, I don't score goals." Well he bagged five, two of which were winning goals. The other an equaliser and the other two were exclamation marks on a victory.

The flick at Southampton, the last minute header vs Leicester, the dink over poor Tim Krul, the slot vs Arsenal, so many memories in such little time.

We are all desperate now for him to carry on in the same vein next season. His partnership in midfield with Joelinton is a sight to be hold. Add another top class midfielder and we have one of the best midfields in the Premier League.


1. Kieran Trippier


It may surprise some that he's number one but his signing is more than just what he does on the pitch, which is absolute top class. His signing set the tone for the new era & he is the perfect character off the field.

I can't express how much I love this kid. His attitude is a dream and he was the first one through the door, opening up the possibility for top players to follow suit.

We may get Renan Lodi at left back in the summer and if we do, it will be largely thanks to signing his Atletico ex-teammate Tripps in January. You just know he'll help sell the project & club to him.

He has said playing in front of the Newcastle fans is the best experience he's ever had as a player. His enthusiasm and passion for the new era here is infectious.

He's a winner. He will not stand for a lack of standards in training. Then there's his talent. He may already be the best right back Newcastle has ever had in the PL.


His two free kicks to seal three points vs Everton and beat Aston Villa 1-0 were absolutely huge. Those victories kick started the ridiculous run we saw throughout 2022.

Cruelly he only played a handful of games, as he broke his foot but he has managed to make the last few games of the season and get into the England squad for the Nations League matches.

Bruno is unbelievable, Big Dan Burn is class but Trippier will always be the first signing of the new era and what a signing it was. The best £12m with add ons we will ever spend. 

Follow me on Twitter @ToonBano 


One winger staying at Newcastle, One winger leaving - fans heartbroken

There is likely to be a revolving door at Newcastle this summer with a host of players leaving to make room for new signings coming in. One player spoken about that could leave is Allan Saint-Maximin but now he is set to stay.

That's according to Craig Hope in The Daily Mail who reports the Frenchman is set to stay for another season on Tyneside after the club won't find a buyer for his £50m price tag.

Allan will also want a new contract matching the top earners of Bruno Guimarães and Kieran Trippier of around £100k a week but that would given the lack of buyers, he hasn't a lot of leverage.

One winger who is set to leave Tyneside though is Jack Grealish favourite player Miggy Almiron. Hope states the Paraguayan is likely to leave St James' Park and his fee added to the pot.


This makes total sense, as the kid only has one goal to his name all season. Despite it being a goal of the season contender against Crystal Palace, a single goal all year simply doesn't cut it.

Miggy has a cult following and they will be heartbroken but if we can get a decent fee for him then we should take it, as we are very likely to bring in a new winger who knows how to contribute with goals and assists.

It's good news for Saint-Maximin fans though and hopefully he can have a strong season where he gets back to his electrifying best on a more consistent basis.

Follow me on Twitter @ToonBano

Neymar to leave PSG? "Only Newcastle..." his potental destination

Mbappe has signed his new unbelievable contract at PSG and Neymar is now well and truly in his shadow. You could argue he is even third in line with Messi joining last summer. So he could be leaving, but to where?



Well according to L'equipe "only Newcastle..." have the means and potential interest to afford Neymar given his wages and age. None of the big clubs in Europe would invest in him.

This is of course total nonsense, as its very lazy "journalism" from a supposed respectable news source. For a start Newcastle won't pay his off the scale wages and are focusing on young players with potential.

Plus if you look at Neymar injury record over the past couple of season it's a shocker. You only get half a season out of him and despite Newcastle owners wealth, the actual football club isn't in a position to waste any money at this stage.

These kind of stories will no doubt continue this summer as Newcastle will be used by all agents and news outlets to create stories and interest of their player. Take it with a pinch of salt.

Neymar to Newcastle... Ney chance.

Follow me Twitter @ToonBano

Newcastle keen on ex-Manchester City whizzkid

Reports are emerging that Newcastle are very keen on Leeds winger Jack Harrison despite the Yorkshire club survival in the Premier League.


The Telegraph are reporting the Magpies are very keen on Harrison but with that PL survival, any hopes his price will be reduced have gone which can also be said about his team mate Kalvin Phillips.

Man City look to be serious in their pursuit of the England midfielder as Fernandinho has now left the club and they're question marks over Ilkay Gundogan staying at the Etihad also.

So, Phillips may be one Newcastle miss out on but Harrison could still make his way to Tyneside if the price is right. I dont personally see it happening but you never know in this game.

Eddie Howe is looking for more attacking threat next year with Almiron only scoring one goal this season with Murphy and Fraser also very low on the goal contribution count.

Harrison has a sweet left foot which he displayed on the last game of the season as his last minute goal confirmed Leeds survival as Burnley dropped to the Championship. His goals tally was a very respectable 10.

Follow me on Twitter @ToonBano

England Squad Announcement: Newcastle United star gets England call up!

Gareth Southgate is set to announce his England squad for the Nations League matches and Newcastle fans are keeping a close eye on who makes it more than usual given their current line up.

New signings Dan Burn and Matt Targett have impressed since joining the Magpies but they have missed out this time around. 

However, seasoned International Kieran Trippier HAS made the England squad according to Football365 & Team Talk SM editor. I asked him to conform and he said "yea, it's official".


The right back has missed months of the season with a broken foot but has made it back on the pitch for the last game of the season at Burnley, where he completed 90 minutes.

The call up isn't a bad thing for Newcastle as this will give Trippier more minutes in his legs and test out the recovery from the injury that kept him out for most of the end to the season.


Eddie Howe will be praying Trippier comes through these games unharmed and have no recurrence of any injury however...

UPDATE: Tripps is IN.

Follow me on Twitter @ToonBano

Newcastle Utd "close" to big £100k a week new signing!

Newcastle Utd are looking for a goalkeeper for next season and they may have found their man. According to reports, the deal to bring Dean Henderson to Tyneside is close.




Charlie Bennett of The Chronicle, is reporting that Henderson's camp believe the deal to be close which adds to the reports last week of the deal being "99% done".



It's uncertain whether the Magpies will go all out and make it a permanent deal or bring him on loan. It must be made clear that Henderson is o n a staggering £100k a week at Old Trafford, so will instantly be a top earner on Day one of arrival.

There is reports that Newcastle are working to a self enforced "salary cap" of £100k a week maximum for any player in the squad to prevent jealousy in the ranks & to attract characters who aren't just coming for money.

Whether this is a shrewd move will only be proved with next season PL finish and who they manage to miss out on through this policy. It's certainly not the idea people had of the new owners when making wild claims like they'll sign Mbappe etc.

Follow me on Twitter @ToonBano

Newcastle going head to head with Europe's big guns for Wonderkid!

The finish of the season was dramatic and an unforgettable one. None more so than for Newcastle Utd with the takeover & a huge turnaround in their form in 2022. The transfer talk has already begun, however, with a familiar name in the frame.


According to Sky Sports, Eddie Howe is looking to bring in the French wonderkid Hugo Ekitike that he missed out on in January. The fee is anywhere between €30 - £45million.


This time around, however, the Magpies face stiff competition from PSG and Borussia Dortmund. The former seemingly don't work under any financial restraints in the French League so can offer Reims as much as they want.

Dortmund are a more humble outfit but are very famous for developing young players which may be huge trump card to use to grab Ekitike, like they did with Erling Haaland send Jude Bellingham.

Newcastle are somewhere inbetween these two giants of European football as they can offer a significant financial package but also offer room for development to Ekitike, as this is what Howe prides himself on.

It will be interesting to see where the "next Mbappe" ends up this summer after he basically announced he has scored his last goal for Reims in Ligue Un. It would be a major coup for Newcastle new owners to pull off.

Follow me on Twitter @ToonBano 

Newcastle could sign Renan Lodi AND Matt Targett. Here's how...

The reports of Newcastle attempting to sign Atletico Madrid left back Renan Lodi refuse to go away, as the club are supposedly ramping up their interest to bring the Brazilian to Tyneside.

Famously, Newcastle have already signed an Atletico Madrid full last season in Kieran Trippier and the new owners of the Magpies are seriously looking at his mate Renan Lodi according to The Chronicle

If they were to sign him, then the assumption is that Matt Targett coming back on a permanent deal would be dead in the water. Thar may be true however, there is another scenario.

If Matt Targett is still not wanted at Aston Villa next season, there is a scenario where Eddie Howe can go back in for the Englishman on loan. He can directly challenge for the left back spot with Lodi.

There is no guarantee that Lodi will hit the ground running in the Premier League. He also very attacking so may not be as solid defensively as Targett, so having both options would make perfect sense.

I've no doubt Targett would still jump at the chance to come back to this new era at Newcastle, even if he won't be guaranteed to be first choice, given how he's enjoyed it and how highly thought of he is.

It's a lot better than most options he'll receive including sitting on the bench next to Gerrard on a mid-table snoozefest at Villa Park.

Get em both in!

Follow me on Twitter @ToonBano

Newcastle have self enforced salary cap - will they miss out on targets?!

There is name after name being linked to Newcastle Utd at the moment and it will not stop throughout the summer. If anything, the transfer speculation will go into overdrive! But Newcastle may have hindered their potential transfer activity...

Reports from Lee Ryder in The Chronicle are saying the club have self enforced a "salary cap" of around £100k a week for their highest earners. This is for two reasons.

The first is to avoid any potential jealousy and disharmony in the group with one or two players earning way more than everyone else. Which is fair.

The other is they dont want to recruit players looking for a big pay day. They want good characters who want to join the club and this team.

You cant argue with this approach for the above reasons but this self enforced salary cap may be tested if a genuine top class player becomes available to the club to sign in the summer window.


Two January signings Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimarães are on wages up and possibly just over this £100k mark and are the clubs highest earners and have earned their contracts.

Watch this space...

Follow me on Twitter @ToonBano 

Newcastle to sign Coutinho over Aston Villa by offering £1 million bonus?!

Newcastle are all set for a huge summer transfer window, as they look to invest in a squad to take them well away from any relegation troubles to challenge in the top half next season. According to Sport, they could be attempting to lure Philippe Coutinho to St James' Park!


Coutinho has found it tough since leaving Liverpool for a whopping £143m and found himself out on loan and Bayern Munich and this season on loan at Aston Villa.

Newcastle reportedly only had a slight interest in the Brazilian in January as he chose to join his old team mate Steven Gerrard at Villa Park.


Coutinho has been a success overall so far back in the PL and if reports are to be believed, then Newcastle may crank up their interest and offer him a £1 million bonus to choose Black and White stripes over Claret and Blue.

Interesting... would you take him?

Follow us on Twitter @ToonBano

Bundesliga Wonderkid tipped to join Newcastle this summer?!

The Newcastle Utd board room are drawing up a transfer long list of targets, as Premier League survival looks highly likely after a serious up turn in form, and young talent across Europe looks to be high on the agenda.


They are looking for fresh talent across all areas of the pitch including at centre back and one name coming out in reports is RB Leipzig wonderkid Josko Gvardiol.

It was initially reported in The Mail and is spreading like wild fire on many sites and through various sources that the Magpies could be making a move for the 20-year-old, which would be a huge statement of intent from the new owners.

Gvardiol is regarded as the best young centre back in Europe by many football experts and has the biggest clubs looking into his signature. The lure of the Premier League and a huge pay rise may tempt the young Croatian defender.


With Newcastle new found wealth, Amanda Staveley is looking to spend the PIF money wisely and investing in top young talent may be the way the club go this summer.

Follow us on Twitter @ToonBano

So exciting - England International midfielder on Newcastle shortlist. Match made in heaven

Reports has come out of Newcastle Utd shortlist of transfer targets for the summer and there are some hugely exciting names on it. Alexander Isak, Darwin Nunez but also a midfielder who would be perfect for the club.



England International Kalvin Phillips is almost certain to leave Leeds in the summer, even if the Yorkshire club stay up, and Newcastle could be fighting hard for his signature.

According to The Mail, the 'Yorkshire Pirlo' is one of many targets the Magpies will be looking to bring in to bolster their midfield as well the likes of Yves Bissouma at Brighton.

Joelinton, Jonjo Shelvey and Joe Willock have formed an effective threesome this season in midfield, with Bruno Guimaraes also coming in and performing well.


However, if the like of Kalvin Phillips is available the club would be wise to invest in such a quality player to help the club go up a level or two. Jonjo and Willock are good but they aren't as good as Phillips. I personally am begging we sign him!

Follow me on Twitter.