A round-up of the latest Newcastle United headlines on Tuesday, 26 April.
Ivan Toney, James Ward-Prowse, Richarlison and Jordan Pickford told to sign for Newcastle United
TalkSPORT presenter Adrian Durham has tipped Ivan Toney, James Ward-Prowse, Richarlison and Jordan Pickford to sign for Newcastle United this summer. The Magpies have been linked with a move to bring Toney back to St. James' Park, after rebuilding his career away from Tyneside.
Rafa Benitez let Toney leave Newcastle in 2018, signing permanently for Peterborough United and then moving to Brentford in the summer of 2020. The 26-year-old has scored 43 goals in 73 appearances for the Bees and has proven he's got what it takes to play in the Premier League.
Ward-Prowse is another to have been linked with a move to St. James' Park and take his career to the next level, with the Magpies looking to challenger for European football in the future. The set-piece specialist is currently on the fringes of the England squad but has been tipped for a move to a bigger club than Southampton.
Jordan Henderson's Liverpool 'focus' warning as he hints at rotation for Newcastle United clash
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson says they have to win every game as the Anfield club prepare for their Champions League semi-final with Villarreal, followed by Saturday's Premier League clash with Newcastle United. Jurgen Klopp's side are still on for what would be a remarkable quadruple, vying with Manchester City for the league title, and faciing a two-legged tie with Villarreal to reach the Champions League final.
After already winning the League Cup, Liverpool will face Chelsea in the FA Cup final next month, but Henderson says they won't take their eye off the ball despite the challenge of competing on so many fronts. And he has underlined that they will need their full squad to play a part, suggesting there could be some changes to the starting XI at Newcastle on Saturday lunchtime.
Manager Klopp has already voiced his displeasure at having to play the early Premier League fixture following their European exertions on Wednesday, but with a strong squad available to them, he could make several changes without weakening his side. Henderson for one, knows everyone has to step up.
Newcastle United supporters 'more aware' of Saudi Arabia's human rights issues
Newcastle United supporters are 'more aware' of human rights issues in Saudi Arabia according to a recent survey. To mark six months since the completion of the Saudi PiF-led takeover of the club ChronicleLive invited fans to take part in a special survey to gauge progress and perceptions of the start made to this new era.
More than 4,700 fans took part. One of the questions asked supporters whether they had become more aware of human rights issues in Saudi Arabia as a result of PiF's investment in the club.
Human rights groups criticised the move, dubbing the takeover as an attempt to 'sportswash' the Saudi regime. Newcastle were asked to provide assurances that the club would not be ruled by Saudi government prior to the takeover being approved.
The Premier League granted permission for the takeover to go through and there has been constant attention on the club as a result of the human rights issues. In response to ChronicleLive's recent survey, 52.1% of those who took part, said they were more aware of human rights issues in Saudi Arabia, while 38.3% were not and 9.7% remained unsure.
'Get it done' - Pundit sends Newcastle United transfer message amid impressive loan spell
The January loan signing of Matt Targett from Aston Villa helped Newcastle United shore up a position they struggled with in the first half of the season. The likes of Matt Ritchie and Jamal Lewis failed to ever really make that spot their own, while Javier Manquillo was also occasionally tasked with filling in there.
Targett has played every minute of every match for the Magpies since his arrival, with Aston Villa the only game he missed due to being ineligible against his parent club. Newcastle have won 75% of the games in which Targett has started, showing the importance he now has in the side.
There is no doubt this summer that Newcastle will target some of Europe’s most exciting talents as they look to further bolster their squad under the new ownership. But converting Targett’s loan deal into a permanent switch could be one of their most important bits of business in order to maintain some continuity.
Newcastle's last clash with Liverpool sparked irreversible transformation in Eddie Howe's side
A cold night at Anfield in December did little to spark life into Newcastle United's flailing Premier League campaign. However, it will be remembered as the evening that laid the foundations for one of the most remarkable turnarounds in the club's history.
Eddie Howe's inspired decision to start Joelinton in midfield against Liverpool that night left heads being scratched in the away end on Merseyside. But by the time the full-time whistle sounded, fans were already pondering whether the new Magpies boss had struck gold.
The call to drop the struggling striker deeper was one very few had thought up. Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock were both fully fit for the away clash but were overlooked in favour of this radical new plan.
