Newcastle United transfer news: The 14 players they could sign this summer ranked | OneFootball

With Newcastle United returning to the Champions League for the first time since the 2002/03 season, attention is now turning to who might be arriving at St James’ Park in the summer.

With a stacked war chest at his disposal, Eddie Howe could look to recruit some of the most talented names in world and English football.

And with Betfair (via The Sun) compiling the odds for 14 players who could join in the coming months, we thought we'd take the opportunity to rank some of the big names who might be on their way to Tyneside, based on how likely they are to happen.

Using Tiermaker, we have split the names into the following categories: “Not a chance”, “We can't see it”, “Outside shout”, “One to watch”, and “On their way.”

As always, if you think we might have got this wrong, let us know in our social media comments. And feel free to chuck in some more names that the bookies should have on their radar.

Ranking the 14 players who are favourites to sign for Newcastle this summer

Not a chance

Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo

Two of the biggest names in football have been linked with the Magpies, but we don’t think either of these are realistic

Both men are likely to demand extortionate wages, sums which could even make the eyes of Newcastle’s wealthy owners water.

And a big reason why Newcastle now find themselves back in Europe’s premier competition is because of their work ethic as a team. Will Eddie Howe be tempted to disrupt that by signing one or two luxury players?

In Ronaldo’s case, he only left the Premier League six months ago, and while past reports have indicated he might already want to leave Al-Nassr, Newcastle might refrain from coming in for the Portuguese icon due to how his time at United ended.

We can't see it

Declan Rice, Moises Caicedo, Sadio Mane, Harry Maguire

These names could come up in reports this summer, but we would be surprised if any of them ultimately signed.

Regarding the first two names on the list, they are already linked with high-profile moves.

has been covered in multiple reports, and that appears to be the most concrete destination at this point.

Caicedo is attracting interest from multiple clubs as well. Arsenal and Chelsea are both in for the Ecuadorian, so Newcastle will face an uphill battle to add him to their squad.

Mane, meanwhile, reportedly could leave the Allianz Arena after just one season with Bayern Munich. But Alexander Isak has shone on the left flank, so a move for Mane might not be a priority, especially given his likely wage demands.

And Maguire, while an excellent defender on his day, has struggled since moving to Manchester United. Howe and Newcastle fans will not see him as an upgrade on either Sven Botman or Fabian Schar.

Outside shout

Raphinha, Harvey Barnes, Youri Tielemans

Like Mane, Newcastle’s lack of need to sign an attacker might mean Raphinha and Barnes don’t sign. But these two are likely to be more easily available.

Raphinha has made no secret of his desire to stay at Barcelona, but the club’s financial position might mean he moves on. With reports linking him with a return to the Premier League, Howe might yet want to add quality at a cheaper cost.

While Raphinha might not want to jump ship, Barnes most certainly will. He’s been one of the few bright sparks in a poor Leicester team this year, and will most likely move on if the club are relegated.

Isak off the left, Wilson in the middle, and one of Barnes or Raphinha on the right. Frighteningly exciting.

But midfield is the area where Newcastle appear most keen to bolster. With Tielemans available on a free transfer at the end of the season, a move to Newcastle definitely has potential.

We’re just not sure he offers anything they don’t already have.

One to watch

Conor Gallagher, James Ward-Prowse, Scott McTominay

Someone who does bring a different quality to the team is Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher, ranked at 3/1 to sign for the Magpies.

Howe would love his energy in the middle of the park. And with Chelsea needing to offload players, he could be bought for a decent price.

Meanwhile, Ward-Prowse might not have the dynamism of Gallagher, but his set-piece delivery makes him a target for several teams, especially after getting relegated this campaign.

And McTominay could also be persuaded to move on from Man United with more regular minutes.

Previous reports have linked him with Newcastle, and with Erik ten Hag not seeing the midfielder as part of his plans, a summer transfer could yet happen.

On their way

James Maddison, Kieran Tierney

You can already see these two in black and white stripes.

, with it being no secret that Howe admires the English midfielder.

Excellent passing and dribbling, and likely to be available if Leicester go down - this just feels destined to happen.

But Betfair’s favourite to move to the northeast is Arsenal left-back Tierney.

The Scotsman has fallen out of favour at the London club, and reports that he could move on have been frequent.

With Newcastle utilising Dan Burn as a makeshift full-back on numerous occasions, a move for a dynamic creator like Tierney would add quality to the left side.

You can check out the Tiermaker in full below.