It’s all about finding a way towards Newcastle United’s resurgence in the Premier League next season, with Eddie Howe’s side falling by the wayside last year.
Succeeding on the field will always be difficult if you are under scrutiny because of the constraints in the transfer window. When the Magpies exploded into the top flight of English football at the start of the Howe era, they clearly opened Pandora’s Box, now cursed to see all their top transfer targets somehow fall into enemy territory.
Newcastle cannot afford to take risks, and must act quickly to close all the cracks in the team. While Sean Steur joined for £23m after Sandro Tonali completed a £100m move to Tottenham, there is much uncertainty over captain Bruno Guimaraes, and they clearly need another midfielder.
Why Newcastle still need to sign a midfielder
Guimaraes is something special, the foundation of a Newcastle team that has escaped the perils of mid-table – and it really hurts – to play two Champions League campaigns three times, and to win the Carabao Cup in 2025, beating Liverpool at Wembley.
However, at the age of 28, the world-class Brazilian wants to play at the highest level, and Newcastle’s 12th place in the Premier League last year has attracted loyalty from Tyneside, with the captain keen to explore a switch to league champions Arsenal. The calls come as the Gunners try to move the pieces and secure his signature.
Taking his place was always going to be difficult, and it’s getting tougher now that Johan Manzambi is proposing to go to St. James’ Park. Aston Villa snubbed that, the latest in a long and weary line.
The 20-year-old Swiss midfielder broke into the World Cup this summer, scoring three goals and providing two assists in four games, only two of which he has started.
However, his efforts with Freiburg in the Bundesliga were more moderate, albeit less explosive. He completed 84% of his passes, won 6.6 duels and made 3.7 defensive contributions on average per game, leading talent scout Jacek Kulig to describe him as “one of the hardest-hitting midfielders in Europe”.
This is a potential champion, a box-and-box midfielder for years. Alas, he will join Villa this summer, leaving Newcastle and Howe in the lurch once again.
They must react quickly and prove that they are determined to return to form to challenge for Europe.
Newcastle have entered negotiations to find another place for Manzambi
A £51m deal was agreed to sign Manzambi, and if we take anything from it, it is that the PIF have money to spend on talented midfielders.
That could also be seen following news that the Magpies have seen a bid for Tottenham Hotspur’s Lucas Bergvall rejected, with the north London club returning a £46m bid for the 20-year-old.
Bergvall is not the only Swedish midfielder Newcastle are interested in, however, with Football Transfer revealing that Newcastle have opened talks to sign Hugo Larsson from Eintracht Frankfurt,
So, what’s the catch? Well, Manchester United are also interested in signing the talented player, who Frankfurt are unwilling to sell, but reluctantly bid €50m (£43m). Larsson is keen to look at a move to the Premier League, but no one has made an official bid yet.
Understand that the Swedish player, who missed out on Graham Potter’s World Cup squad, Newcastle will sign prospects, not the finished product.
Larsson didn’t enjoy the strongest 2025/26 season, but he remains one of the most exciting midfield talents out there, praised for his “madness and endurance” by commentator and Como scout Ben Mattinson, who even suggested he resembles Three Lions star Jude Bellingham.
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Larsson is still working on his body, but that Jude comparison speaks strongly of his abilities. You can see why Newcastle are looking for him, adding a midfielder who has scored a goal that echoes the impact that Manzambi could have.
Although this could be a gamble after a disappointing year, Larsson was dragged into the wider sickness of his outfit, and showed last year that he has great potential.
There is no doubt that Newcastle have insisted on strengthening with increasing quality this summer, but if Larsson can recapture the form he showed in those early Bundesliga days, he can overtake Manzambi and prove that, in the end, everything has worked out for Howe’s project.
Although Manzambi is the talk of the town at the moment, Larsson has the makings of a midfielder with incredible intelligence and vision, able to influence attacks in depth.
Manzambi, in contrast, is physical and direct. Larsson has such skills in his repertoire, but a more varied and flexible approach could pay dividends in the long run for a Newcastle side going through any number of changes.
