A round-up of the Newcastle United evening headlines on Wednesday, July 20.
Benjamin Sesko fits Newcastle United bill after Eddie Howe transfer 'change'
Newcastle United fans were sent into meltdown on Wednesday when the agent of Red Bull Salzburg striker Benjamin Sesko posted an Instagram story while enjoying a meal on the Quayside. Social media was ablaze with supporters suddenly speculating as to whether the agent, Elvis Basanovic, was on Tyneside to offer his client to the Magpies.
Sesko, 19, is destined for a huge career and is already being dubbed the 'Mini-Haaland' for his Salzburg exploits to date. The striker enjoyed an impressive season in Austria last term and is expected to replace Karim Adeyemi as the club's top forward this season.
The player certainly fits the bill when it comes to what Eddie Howe is looking for after 20-year-old Hugo Ekitike snubbed an offer from Newcastle to join PSG earlier this month. The Magpies boss is keen to add firepower to his ranks this summer and recently admitted he has changed his stance on bringing in young talent from further afield this window.
Ivan Toney's full circle Newcastle United moment after fulfilling Premier League pledge
Ivan Toney's debut Premier League campaign gave Newcastle United's former-chiefs a stark reminder of the player they let slip through their fingers. The takeover at St James' Park means those who made the call to let Toney leave the club are no longer around, with Rafa Benitez also out of the picture.
However, the 26-year-old's remarkable ascent up the football league is a stark reminder of one of the former ownership's greatest failures. The Brentford striker scored 12 goals from 33 games in the league last season and is attracting interest from Manchester United, Leeds United and Eddie Howe's Magpies.
The Bees have set an asking price of £40million for the striker, an incredible 66 times the amount they sold him for back in 2018. Of course, there's the argument that Toney would not be the player he is today, had he not made the move away from St. James' Park, but the signs were there for Newcastle.
'He wants to win everything' - Newcastle owners excited as Premier League about to be shaken up
Newcastle United have made some big signings in the transfer market in 2022, but the arrival of Darren Eales as the club's new CEO may yet prove one of the most significant additions the Magpies make full stop. It has certainly got Newcastle's owners excited.
It is not a coincidence that all of the owners' major appointments to date have experience of working in the Premier League, as Eales did at Spurs and West Brom, but the executive's background in MLS means he can bring different ideas, too. In fact, that is what the owners wanted in the first place: a figure who was going to challenge the status quo on and off the field at a time when Newcastle are attempting to close the gap on the top six in the coming years.
Eales already has experience of upsetting the established order in MLS with Atlanta United and it is easy to forget the club were only founded in 2014 before the 49-year-old went on to leave a 'dramatic mark on American soccer' in the words of FC Cincinnati president Jeff Berding.
The Benfica duo who could’ve been lining up for Newcastle United - and not against them
Newcastle United's pre-season clash with Benfica next week will be another big test for Eddie Howe's side. The Primeira Liga side finished third in the league last season and reached the latter stages of the Champions League.
Benfica have made an impressive start to their pre-season campaign and will be a stern test for the Magpies, with Nélson Veríssimo's side set to play Champions League football later this season. Darwin Nunez's departure has been one the most talked about transfer sagas since January, with the Uruguayan linked to Newcastle before joining Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool.
However, he's not the first Benfica player to have been linked with a move to St. James' Park. Last summer the Magpies were linked with a move for Rafa Silva, the 29-year-old Portuguese winger who finished second top goal scorer for The Eagles.
Rio Ferdinand's pre-season message Newcastle United's Elliot Anderson has embraced
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe has a big decision to make when it comes to youngster Elliot Anderson. The 19-year-old has already impressed in pre-season with the first team so far, with Howe taking a close look at the hot prospect before deciding on his immediate future.
Anderson is highly rated at St James' Park, but the coaching staff now must weigh up if a loan move to a Championship club would be more beneficial to his development, or whether he is ready to play a role in the first-team squad for the coming Premier League campaign.
There are no shortage of suitors for the attacking playmaker, with the likes of Millwall, West Brom, Luton and Sheffield Wednesday all credited with interest. But when it comes to making an impression, Anderson can consider it a job well done already this summer.
Matt Targett pinpoints vital aspect of Newcastle United pre-season training camp
Newcastle United defender Matt Targett has underlines the importance of playing alongside fellow summer signings Sven Botman and Nick Pope in pre-season games. Despite their Austrian trip ending in defeat, Targett is confident that the side are in a good position as the new season edges closer.
The former Aston Villa defender is familiar with the United squad, of course, having spent the second part of last season on loan at St James' Park before making the move permanent. Eddie Howe's side have three more pre-season games before the big kick-off against Nottingham Forest on August 6, with games against Benfica, Atalanta and Athletic Bilbao to come.
Botman featured in both games in Austria, following his big-money money from Lille, and Targett says it's important for Newcastle players to get to know the new signings before the Premier League season begins.
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