Newcastle United are now said to be ‘closely observing’ a midfielder who previously struggled to show his best form in the Premier League.
Right now, a lot of the focus has been on players who could leave Eddie Howe’s team this summer, with several names linked with an exit.
But unless a club pays Bruno Guimaraes’ release clause before the end of June, it seems almost certain that neither him or Alexander Isak are going anywhere.
Perhaps there could be departures elsewhere – it’s reported that Kieran Trippier could be available for the right price.
Newcastle will hope to raise some funds from player sales, but will also be keen to add new talent to their project as well.
Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise was recently earmarked as the club’s ‘priority signing’ but it doesn’t seem as if plans will end there.
As a result of their injuries last season, Newcastle struggled for numbers throughout their whole squad, and could be keen to add a new central midfielder.
Newcastle interested in Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie along with Everton and Aston Villa
Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie will be a name familiar with fans of the Premier League, given his loan spell with Leeds United.
And according to Italian outlet TuttoJuve, Newcastle are now among three English clubs interested in bringing McKennie back.
The 25-year-old midfielder already has 51 caps for the United States, scoring 11 goals in the process, and does represent a versatile option for interested clubs.
McKennie was a regular starter for Juventus this season playing 38 games across all competitions in the middle, but can also prosper out wide.
Juventus’ asking price is said to be a fairly reasonable £21m, in the case that the American doesn’t sign a new deal.
McKennie previously admitted he was unfit whilst playing for Leeds
McKennie previously played 20 games for Leeds having arrived on loan in January 2023, aiming to help the club avoid relegation.
The move was ultimately an unsuccessful one, and when reflecting on the experience, McKennie admitted he wasn’t in his best shape.
He said: “I’m not one to make excuses at all, but I don’t think my physical fitness was the best because I was so used to being at Juventus and playing every three days.
“Game fitness is so different to training fitness for me. I become game fit by playing games, and you can’t replicate that in training, you can try, but I can’t do that.
“Playing one game a week, I didn’t feel I was in the best shape in terms of being able to last a 90-minute game.”
Perhaps that is something McKennie has now addressed, and given the precautions Newcastle United will have in place, it probably shouldn’t be a concern should interest progress.
All that being said, TBR Football has just exclusively shared what Newcastle have been telling Bruno Guimaraes about his future behind the scenes.