Here are the latest Newcastle United headlines for Wednesday, June 28, 2023.
Maddison set for Spurs
Tottenham are close to the signing of Newcastle United target James Maddison with the Leicester midfielder undergoing a medical. Spurs entered advanced talks with recently-relegated Leicester earlier this week and have now struck a deal for the England international.
Maddison will move to Tottenham in a transfer worth £40million plus add-ons, having already agreed personal terms. The signing of Maddison will represent a major coup for Spurs, who have been long-term admirers of the 26-year-old. Ex-Tottenham boss David Pleat recommended Maddison to chairman Daniel Levy when the playmaker was still a teenager at Coventry, but no move was able to materialise and he instead joined Norwich.
Spurs' interest and desire to eventually sign Maddison never waivered with his time at Leicester only serving to prove he was one of the most creative players in England. During five largely successful years with the Foxes, who won the 2021 FA Cup, Maddison made 203 appearances, scored 55 goals and produced 41 assists. While Maddison was unable to prevent Leicester suffering a shock relegation to the Sky Bet Championship last season, he was still able to hit double figures in terms of goals.
READ MORE: Newcastle legend Alan Shearer turns air blue with message to James Maddison before Spurs move
Trippier ambition
Newcastle United star Kieran Trippier has admitted qualifying for next season's Champions League greatly exceeded the squad's internal goal at the start of last season.
"We have got a good manager and we are all pulling in the right direction which is really important," told Jill Scott's Coffee Club at St George's Park while on international duty with England. "We finished higher than we expected, we have got to be honest about that, but I think we earned the right to be there. From when I first signed and we were 19th in the league, we have performed very well and the signings have helped.
Vicario revelation
New Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario almost joined Newcastle United in January before his summer move to North London. That is according to Vicario's father, who claims both the Magpies and Nottingham Forest tried to sign the 26-year-old during the January transfer window.
Tottenham completed the signing of the goalkeeper from Empoli in a deal worth an initial £17.2m. The Italy international has signed a contract with the club that will run until 2028. But he could well have moved to England six months earlier, but for Empoli's insistence he would only be sold during the summer transfer window.
“No, we would not have preferred to see him continue playing in Italy, from our side there was no preclusion,” he told Napoli Magazine, via Sport Witness.
“My wife always wanted to go and study in England, then she had to make other choices. To see her son realising a dream that was his is unimaginable gratification.
“Newcastle and Nottingham Forest had come forward in January, but Empoli wanted to postpone everything until the summer.”
