Sources: Eddie Howe tells Dan Ashworth the three players he most wants at Newcastle United next season
Eddie Howe has instructed Newcastle United chiefs to prioritise three marquee deals this summer, sources have told Football Insider.
The manager’s top targets are Premier League duo James Maddison and Kieran Tierney, and Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby.
The trio head the United shopping list as the club’s Saudi owners prepare to back Howe again in the summer window.
Howe has identified Leicester City playmaker Maddison, Arsenal left-back Tierney and wide sensation Diaby as players who can slot straight into his starting XI and improve it.
He has presented the three targets to club sporting director Dan Ashworth and requested that he pulls out all the stops to get the deals done in the coming months.
Football Insider first revealed Newcastle’s interest in Tierney on 19 February after they identified left-back as a position they want to improve in the main summer window.
The former Celtic star, who is valued around the £30million mark, is the second choice at league leaders Arsenal behind 2022 summer signing Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Newcastle’s Saudi-backed owners PIF are keen to build on the momentum of an impressive Premier League campaign by strengthening the Newcastle squad.
Maddison has been a long-term target for the north-east outfit, and Leicester City’s ongoing battle with relegation this season could allow Newcastle to secure a bargain deal for the 26-year-old.
The Foxes’ playmaker has shone despite Leicester’s struggles this season, scoring nine goals and assisting seven times.
Diaby has also dazzled in Germany this season, scoring nine and assisting eight in the Bundesliga to help Leverkusen climb to sixth in the league table.
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