Newcastle make big decision on £90k a week star wanted by Liverpool; Slot sees him as a ‘cool customer’

 

 

In the midst of mounting rumors of yet another agonizing Liverpool attack on Tyneside, Eddie Howe is pleading with Newcastle United to sign Sven Botman to a huge new contract at St James’ Park. However, insiders have disclosed the four other players who are vying for the position of sporting director Ross Wilson.

Over the course of a torturous summer, the Magpies fought in vain to keep the services of talismanic striker Alexander Isak. On transfer deadline day, the Swede completed a record-breaking £125 million move to Liverpool, but the Newcastle faithful quickly forgot about their former idol thanks to the performance of Nick Woltemade, his replacement up front.

Even with their massive summer spending spree of £440 million (€505 million, $600 million), the defending Premier League champions still appear to need reinforcements, and it is highly likely that they will shift their focus to central defensive targets in 2026. This is because Virgil van Dijk will turn 35 at the end of the current campaign, and Ibrahima Konate’s contract is still up in the air.

Although Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace is still the Reds’ primary target, sporting director Richard Hughes has prudently compiled a list of seven potential replacements in case he is unable to sign the England regular.

In light of this, reliable writer Ben Jacobs disclosed last month that Botman, a standout for Newcastle, is among the candidates being considered.

Since the Dutchman is one of Newcastle’s most reliable players, the Magpies are putting a lot of effort into getting him to sign a new contract. The former Lille star has a contract with St. James’ Park through the summer of 2027.

The Magpies are prepared to give the Netherlands international a significant pay increase on his current package of £90,000 per week, according to Chronicle Live. It’s also possible that any agreement will see the club’s top earners, Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, and Anthony Gordon, who each receive £150,000 per week, match his salary.

Even though Dutch sources maintain that “nothing is happening” in regards to a new contract at this time, Howe wants negotiations to start as soon as possible in an attempt to sign a player who they say Reds manager Arne Slot views as a “cool customer” and who is rumored to still be a long-term target for Chelsea.

Nevertheless, we are aware that when it comes to distributing new and better contracts at St. James’ Park, Botman is not at the top of the list of things that new sporting director Wilson needs to accomplish.

IN-DEPTH ⚫⚯ Ross Wilson, sporting director of Newcastle United, has five main responsibilities: New contracts, signings in the midfield…

Before Liverpool targets Botman, Newcastle will give priority to four other stars.

Wilson’s first priority, according to the Chronicle, will be to sign extensions for Kieran Trippier and Fabian Schar, who are both scheduled to leave in June 2026.

“Those conversations are now constantly going on. Ross is here now, which is fantastic for me,” Howe said.

Because Ross will be talking to the board and the right individuals during the season, it enables me to avoid having those talks too frequently. I will be communicating with Ross every day.

Futures decisions will be made at a later time. It’s game after game now that the season is well underway.

“If the players keep playing as well as they are, their futures will take care of themselves because they have excellent minds and are very focused on trying to give their best performances.”

Although the England full-back’s current contract expires in 2028, Wilson is reportedly trying to entice Manchester City to offer Tino Livramento better terms.

Similar circumstances apply to Sandro Tonali (also 2028), as the Magpies are eager to strengthen the Italian’s value to the team by offering him a better contract.

However, extending Botman’s contract will be considered essential for Newcastle’s future. Together with Malick Thiaw, the 12-time Netherlands international has established an outstanding central defensive partnership that has proven to be one of the Premier League’s most dependable alliances thus far this season.

Given Howe’s desire that a new contract be given priority, the Magpies will undoubtedly realize that they cannot afford to let the 25-year-old reach next summer without first agreeing to an extension to those terms.

And failing to accomplish that will just make people more anxious about the possibility of another Liverpool raid on Tyneside in the summer.

Slot sack warning; Guehi transfer takes a shocking turn;

Regarding Guehi, it appears that Liverpool will fall further behind in the transfer race after credible reports in the Italian press stated that Inter Milan was prepared to make Crystal Palace an extremely alluring trade offer prior to the January transfer window. Additionally, additional remarks made by Eagles chairman Steve Parish have given the Reds even more bad news.

Given Liverpool’s recent lack of success, there is still some speculation as to whether Slot will be available next summer to manage the club’s transfer business.

In light of the team’s continued bad play, the Reds manager used his most recent news conference to list SIX reasons why his team is having trouble, warning the Dutchman that he runs the risk of talking himself out of the job.

Isak, the previous No. 14 for Newcastle, has undoubtedly created a lot of laughter among the North-East team’s followers with his early problems wearing a Liverpool shirt.