Newcastle will target a new striker this summer – despite spending £125m on Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa last year.
Newcastle are also prioritising a goalkeeper in a summer shake-up that could see as many as eight changes to the squad.
With a clutch of Eddie Howe’s squad attracting interest from other clubs and a handful coming to the end of their contracts, a summer of change is expected on Tyneside.
Howe, alongside sporting director Ross Wilson, will be given the opportunity to put right the mistakes from last season’s summer window that saw Newcastle spend £250m to varying degrees of success.
While Newcastle have had no contact from any club over the availability of their big name stars such as Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Tino Livramento, they are braced for offers should Newcastle fail to qualify for the Champions League.
Sky Sports News understands no player has told Newcastle bosses they want to leave.
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The Transfer Show looks at the most in-demand midfielders this summer – is Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali top of that list?
Sunday’s defeat to Sunderland in the Tyne-Wear derby makes Champions League qualification difficult, and the performance has resulted in fans questioning the direction of the club.
Howe and his players were booed off the pitch by many of those that had waited until the final whistle.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Newcastle’s match against Sunderland in the Premier League
Newcastle would ideally like to keep all their best players and have no desire to lose any, however they do not want to see a similar situation to last summer that saw Alexander Isak go on strike to force a move to Liverpool. There is a private acceptance that mistakes were made in how protracted that transfer was, and it had a knock-on effect into this season.
But no player will be sold for less than their value, and with the likes of Tonali and Gordon in particular, only a small collection of clubs would be able to afford those players.
The likes of Kieran Trippier and Fabian Schar are out of contract, and Joe Willock is likely to be sold with just 12 months left on his deal.
Aaron Ramsdale, despite displacing Nick Pope recently, is likely to return to Southampton after his season-long loan ends, with Newcastle on the hunt for a new No 1.
They came agonisingly close to signing James Trafford last summer, only for Man City to steal a late march on the England international.
And despite £125m being spent on Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa last summer, the hunt will be on for another centre-forward.
Wissa’s £55m transfer from Brentford has not worked out, but he will benefit from a full pre-season. Woltemade, although used recently as a midfielder, will be returned to a more attacking position with work on the training ground.
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