Three £50m+ deals agreed by Newcastle’s ‘big six’ rivals as Spurs and Arsenal splash cash
It’s been a busy week on the transfer front, with Anthony Elanga’s £52m switch to Newcastle United just one of several big money moves taking place.
The never-ending rumour mill is one thing, but we’ve seen concrete moves take place, with Spurs set to spend over £110m in the space of two days, while another previously linked winger is on his way to Arsenal.
Spurs have completed the £55m signing of Mohammed Kudus – thought to be on Newcastle’s shortlist as a back-up option to Elanga – with the Ghanaian joining from West Ham.
But that’s not all, as Spurs have booked in a medical for Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White after activating his £60m release clause. A move out of the blue, another major blow for Forest and another smart buy for Thomas Frank.
Staying in North London, Arsenal have helped Chelsea raise more funds after striking a £52m deal for Noni Madueke; another winger who had been looked at by Newcastle prior to Elanga’s arrival.
This follows Man Utd’s £62.5m move for Matheus Cunha, Man City spending £100m+ on Reijnders, Ait-Nouri and Cherki, along with almost £200m of additions at Anfield, with Liverpool recruiting Wirtz, Frimpong and Kerkez.
Not quite a ‘big six’ rival, but North East neighbours Sunderland have been busy again this week, this time securing Ivorian winger Simon Adingra from Brighton in a £20.5m deal, taking their summer spend beyond the £100m mark.
Back to matters on Tyneside, we’ll be hoping to kick on now and build on the Elanga breakthrough, with a striker, centre-back and goalkeeper all wanted.
A midfielder could also arrive should Sean Longstaff depart following ongoing interest from Leeds, who’ve had a £12m bid turned down this week.
The Magpies look to have got a deal for Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga over the line and although they have Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes in their ranks, the addition of a player with the experience and quality of the former Aston Villa player could mark a significant leap forward for the club. The England international, meanwhile, is looking for a new opportunity after a difficult spell at City, where he has lost ground in Pep Guardiola’s plans.
Like Marcus Rashford and his bid for a new club after being frozen out at Manchester United, the World Cup in America next summer must be a factor in Grealish’s thinking. He needs regular game time. He’s already been linked to Everton but of the two clubs, Newcastle’s style of play – and budget – looks far more the likelier bet at the moment.
