Newcastle United

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FA Goalkeeper Coach Eric Steele speaking on BBC Radio Newcastle about the Magpies' newest recruit Aaron Ramsdale: "Newcastle are getting a really good talent. I worked with Aaron in the Euros Under-19s a few years back now and he is a great player. He is a great lad to have around, he is a family lad.

"This is a huge season for Newcastle in which they are going to be involved in the Premier League and European games and Eddie Howe knows he needs people who can step out in certain games.

"Sometimes he will play Pope [Nick Pope] and sometimes Ramsdale.

"You can't expect the same 11 to be going out every week. Ramsdale has been brought in to push Pope and it will be interesting to see how Pope reacts.

"Ramsdale is 27 years-old so there is lots of room for development. He has worked with Howe before so that will have helped him clinch the deal."

On whether goalkeepers should be expected to be good with their feet, Steele added: "We have gone too far in terms of expecting a goalkeeper to have the same distribution skills as some of the outfield players.

"The main reason you put a goalkeeper in is to defend the goal. That's their prime job.

"Howe has got the balance right at Newcastle in terms of what he expects of his goalkeepers. If you want to have a good season, you need three or four goalkeepers."

Former Newcastle centre-back Steve Howey added: "Ideally you would have a settled goalkeeper because then you know what he is like.

"But as long as players have a good understanding of their goalkeeper, you haven't got a problem."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Bayern Munich have enquired about 24-year-old Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson, who Chelsea value at £48m, and is also a target for Newcastle United. (Sky Sports Germany), external

Newcastle striker Alexander Isak will not play for the club in pre-season games against Espanyol and Atletico Madrid this weekend amid uncertainty about his future and interest from Liverpool. (Mail - subscription required), external

Aston Villa have rejected an £18m offer from Everton for Scotland midfielder John McGinn, 30, who is also attracting interest from Newcastle. (Sky Sports News), external

Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr are ready to meet Brentford's asking price for 28-year-old DR Congo forward Yoane Wissa, who is also a target for Newcastle and Tottenham. (L'Equipe - in French), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

This week, we are asking you to share your stories and photos for why you fell in love with Newcastle.

Here is a selection of your submissions:

Image source, BBC Sport

Len: My first game was in August 1969. Newcastle United hosted Manchester City two days after my sixth birthday. I wore the black-and-white scarf my aunt had knitted for my present. I was passed over the heads of the men in the Gallowgate End and put down on the running track. Pop Robson scored the only goal of the game from a first-half penalty. I was sucked in by the noise and fell in love at once.

John: In 1979 when I was 12, I used to get the bus into town when Newcastle were at home on a Saturday and stand outside the ground with a little transistor radio I won in a comic competition.

I would walk round listening to the commentary and visualise being in the Gallowgate End.

One derby year I stood where the stand met the terrace where there was a lower wall. I could feel the atmosphere and it was electric.

Then a man stretched out and I heard a voice shout: "Here, bonny lad!"

He grabbed my hands and I was in!

Send us your pictures and stories here

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The Telegraph's Luke Edwards says Newcastle "will be kicking themselves about missing" out on Joao Pedro and James Trafford, more so than Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko.

"They wanted players that could come straight in and play Champions League football," said Edwards on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. "It is a very small pool of talent that can do that.

"Newcastle have gone for good players because that's why other clubs have gone for them, but they have failed to get them over the line.

"If they had worked faster, then Pedro and Trafford should have been theirs but ultimately they left the door open for Chelsea and Manchester City to swoop in.

"They are the two players they will be kicking themselves about missing."

So where else can Eddie Howe look now that Benjamin Sesko looks to be swaying towards a move to Manchester United?

"There could be legs in going for Nicolas Jackson as Chelsea are open to selling him as they have strengthened their attack and they continue to do so," said BBC Sport's senior correspondent Sami Mokbel.

"There is interest there from Newcastle, but I also understand that there are several individuals at St James' Park that need to be fully convinced that he is the right option for them.

"Someone who has credit in the bank is Ollie Watkins because he is a proven Premier League striker who has scored a lot of goals.

"Howe looks at him as a safer pair of hands because he is multifunctional and can play through the middle as well as out wide.

"But I can see why Newcastle would prioritise Jackson when Watkins is entering the twilight part of his career."

Listen to the Football Daily podcast on BBC Sounds

Ciaran Kelly
Newcastle United reporter

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Boardroom upheaval for the second summer

Sporting director Paul Mitchell left in May while chief executive Darren Eales handed in his notice last autumn because of a serious health problem.

His replacement has not yet been announced.

It has been far from ideal and left Eddie Howe at the coalface.

Hamstrung by spending rules

They were never the richest club in the world despite having the wealthiest owners.

Newcastle may be backed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund - and the Reuben family, but the Magpies' income streams still pale in comparison to the established order.

The Alexander Isak saga

Never more have these restrictions been more apparent than in the Isak saga.

This transfer situation has become a crossroads moment for the Newcastle project.

The struggle to make signings

As well as the issue of holding on to their best player, Newcastle have found it hard to sign others and strengthen their squad more generally.

The club had a list of key targets for summer - and so far all of them, bar Benjamin Sesko have signed for another club.

Read Ciaran's full piece over here

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Danielle Sarver Coombs

When it comes to our love for a football club, the answer to why we do lies in "both psychological and societal" reasons.

In the first part of her chat with BBC Sport, researcher and co-writer of the Routledge Handbook of Sport Fans and Fandom Danielle Sarver Coombs spoke about the part that identity and tradition play.

And yet when we are caught up in the emotions of a tough defeat or nerves of an important match, we can often ask why we put ourselves through it.

"There are psychological processes at work and physiological ones in terms of how we respond and engage," Sarver Coombs said.

"An example that I always give is when I take the train to work, I go past Arsenal's stadium and I feel literally nothing other than: 'Oh, that's a big building'. Whereas on a train to Manchester, I went by Villa Park and my heart started pounding. I got all excited and was trying to take pictures out the window.

"I had a visceral reaction to this place. We can't pretend we don't have that sort of physical reaction because we do.

"When someone is talking about a controversial decision and I feel myself getting wound up, even though I intellectually know that I can't control it and that it's just a game, my body doesn't know that.

"My gut doesn't know that and so I have this really emotional response and we can't control that."

A 2023 book titled 'Football on the brain: why minds love sport, external' suggests it comes down to 'an understandable and logical consequence of the human mind's natural inclination to find meaning through beliefs... It's a religion as far as the brain is concerned'.

But it not just about what is going on inside the mind but outside influences too.

"There is a sociological element to it because the community part is such a huge driver and benefit for us," Sarver Coombs explains.

"Sociologically, we are driven to be part of communities. We are driven to find our groups that we can be members of. Sport provides a way to do that - this sense that I was chosen to be part of this community and it's something bigger than I am."

As the game expands, unrest among supporters seems to be increasing, but how does that impact this ingrained love for a club?

"You always go through these cycles when the game is changing," Sarver Coombs said.

"Despite all the changes, the traditions remain so strong and it's such a huge draw that it becomes really hard to actually separate yourself from it. Even if you do, it tends to be a short-term separation. You get sucked back in because something happens.

"People don't want that change, but then we adapt to it and continue moving forward."

Browse this page to see lots of fan stories for how you fell in love with your club.

And check out those from other Premier League teams over here

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"Newcastle have become the football equivalent of 'The Undateables' this summer because of the amount of people they have tried to sign and been rejected by", says The Telegraph's Luke Edwards.

Manchester United hijacking the Magpies' bid for Benjamin Sesko is now the latest disappointment for Eddie Howe.

"It will hurt but it is just repeating what has happened all summer," added Edwards on the BBC Radio 5 Live Football Daily podcast. "They go in for elite targets but every time they do, one of the legacy big six comes in too and snaps them up.

"Sesko has been tracked by Newcastle for a number of years and so had Hugo Ekitike. They were both pursued long term and it's failed.

"Unfortunately, as good as Eddie Howe's side have been since the takeover, they are not seen as an elite club in the transfer market.

"It's another nail in the coffin because they have gone head to head in the transfer market and the player has decided against joining them.

"This has ramifications for Alexander Isak as well, but my understanding was that Sesko wasn't being signed as his replacement and they just wanted a second striker.

"I think the only way Isak would go is if they brought in two strikers and they can't even bring in one."

So why are Newcastle struggling to get players through the door this summer?

"Wages are a part of it because they have a wage structure but I think there is still a legacy aura around the big six," added Edwards. "Those clubs are still more attractive on a reputational perspective to players.

"There are also the structural issues of Newcastle not having a sporting director since Paul Mitchell walked out before the transfer window opened. Him leaving wasn't a surprise, but the timing of it caught everyone by surprise.

"Newcastle were too slow at the start of the window, were stuttering and in a strange paralysis."

Listen to the full discussion on the Football Daily podcast on BBC Sounds

Newcastle have bid about 30m euros (£26.2m) for Germany defender Malick Thiaw but AC Milan have not accepted the offer as they want to keep the 23-year-old. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external

Sweden striker Alexander Isak has been told to train alone at Newcastle amid interest in him from Liverpool, while the 25-year-old also missed a family day for the players that was put on by the club. (Mirror), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

This week, we are asking you to share your stories and photos for why you fell in love with Newcastle.

Here is a selection of your submissions:

Ian: It is all about the atmosphere and the occasion. My earliest memories of watching Newcastle were in the late 1960s when I remember being put at the front of the Gallowgate End behind the goal with Newcastle fans mingling with Liverpool fans with strange accents.

Peanuts for a tenner, a bag thrown way into the terraces and sixpences being thrown back onto the ash track for the peanut seller.

Songs echoed around the ground from the Leazes End about the Mighty Wyn while black and white scarves filled the stands. The smell of hops from brewery, Bovril and pies wafting through the air.

Send us your photos and stories

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We asked for your views on a perceived lack of urgency and assertiveness from Newcastle United in this summer's transfer market.

Here are some of your comments:

David: Need to be much more aggressive and proactive with transfers. No disrespect to the players, but without new targets, survival in Europe will be challenging, not to mention the Premier League. It is quite disheartening not to see top-quality players arriving.

Alex: Disheartening? I'm absolutely gutted, with a mix of anger, frustration and dismay! The bottom line is that the senior leadership needs to have a serious look at themselves, since Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi left the club feeling directionless. We have just won our first trophy in a lifetime and have European football again - we should be the strongest we have ever been, on the field and off it. However, the club feels lost, discombobulated. Instead of being proactive, we are reactive.

Wayne: Unfortunately, Newcastle's transfer attempts have been inept, making low-ball offers and tipping off rivals about their intentions. Too slow and too timid. Also, there is no transparency or accountability, so no-one is sure who is responsible for this mess - certainly not Eddie Howe, who is sent out to face the media, apparently with zero knowledge of what is going on.

Tom: Disastrous transfer window so far. Alexander Isak hasn't helped matters with his childish behaviour and the timing of it. Just a reminder, Newcastle United won a cup and qualified for the Champions League last season. The reason players aren't coming is greed - it's as simple as that. Newcastle don't have the income yet to match the 'septic six'.

Rich: This whole saga takes me right back to the 1980s when we were simply a transition club. Great players like Paul Gascoigne, Chris Waddle and Peter Beardsley would raise the hopes and aspirations of us being a great club. Yet we failed to keep them or attract similar players to take us to the next level.

Andy: Howe said so himself that Newcastle had to move quickly in the transfer market. We have been far from it - slow, sluggish, dithering and almost statuesque. Yoane Wissa, Benjamin Sesko, James Trafford, Bryan Mbeumo - I wonder who else will be on the oh-so-close list.

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Opta's Supercomputer has once again predicted the upcoming 2025-26 Premier League season by using a model to simulate every match 10,000 times.

Image source, Opta

It is not yet clear if the team that finishes fifth in this season's Premier League will secure a Champions League spot again as that outcome depends on how representatives performance in Europe this season.

Therefore, based on needing a top-four finish to reach the Champions League and fifth getting the Europa League, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea are favourites again, but there is still plenty of hope for others.

Aston Villa agonisingly missed out on Champions League qualification on the final day, but in almost a third of simulations they do force their way into a top-four spot this time around.

Newcastle's focus may be on trying to keep star striker Alexander Isak, but currently the Supercomputer predicts the Magpies to finish sixth most often, and a top-four finish in 29.9% of simulations.

Meanwhile, after Crystal Palace's strong end to last season brought a first major trophy, the Eagles are given more than a one-in-five chance of a top-four finish. They manage that achievement in 21.6% of sims, ahead of rivals Brighton (16.8%).

In their second season under Fabian Hurzeler, Brighton are predicted an eight-placed finish in the majority of sims.

The Supercomputer ranks Bournemouth (10.1%) and Nottingham Forest (8.9%) as outside shouts for European football this season.

Perhaps surprisingly, Brentford are predicted to have a strong season despite losing Thomas Frank and key players Bryan Mbuemo and Christian Norgaard - with Yoanne Wissa also looking likely to exit.

If as many as seven or eight Premier League clubs can qualify for Europe next season, the door could be open for a surprise team to sneak in.

Read Opta's full Supercomputer breakdown here, external

Image source, Getty Images

Newcastle United's former club scout Paul Montgomery has criticised what he perceives as a lack of urgency and assertiveness in the transfer market this summer.

Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle, Montgomery queried the club's ability to sell the project to their top targets in the way that at other ambitious sides seem able to do.

"I would question Newcastle's lack of aggression in the transfer market," he said. "In the modern day, you have to be aggressive when you want to sign a player. When you identify a player and he's your man, then you have to get to him, get to his face, sit with him and tell him he's the best thing since sliced bread.

"Or alternatively, get him on a private jet, get him to that stadium and show him the videos of the fans when Newcastle won the cup to show the passion of the club. That's what sells the club, and to do that, you have to be aggressive. And sadly, I just don't see that with Newcastle at the moment.

"They messed up signing young James Trafford for over a year when they could have easily finalised something. And now you have a situation whereby Newcastle could lose arguably one of the best strikers in Europe, if not the world.

"That is really disheartening for the fans who believed that they were going to go places."

Listen on BBC Sounds

How discouraged are you feeling?

Or do you disagree with Montgomery's verdict?

Let us know

Newcastle United and Manchester United have identified Chelsea's 24-year-old Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson as a backup option, should they fail to land RB Leipzig and Slovenia forward Benjamin Sesko, 22. (The Athletic - subscription required), external

Meanwhile, the Magpies are set to approach AC Milan for 23-year-old Germany defender Malick Thiaw. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

This week, we are asking you to share your stories and photos about why you fell in love with Newcastle.

Here is a selection of your submissions:

Dan: As a young lad of six walking up the steps to see the pitch for the first time, I'd never seen somewhere so big! I've no memory of the game, but we won. When the goal went in, my dad picked me up and was shouting, and all his mates shouting. Every goal I see at St James' Park it takes me back to that moment, and the feeling of belonging with 50,000 football-mad Geordies.

Send us your pictures and stories here

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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I explained what was being said 'between the lines' in the Alexander Isak saga last week.

He was subtly spoiling for a move from Newcastle but I warned "these are just the first salvos and players know how this works. As the transfer window nears expect things to get a little more heated and Liverpool decide to offer an astronomical fee." And so, it has come to pass.

Liverpool's bid was merely stratospheric not astronomical, but Isak ramped up the heat as he trained alone at Real Sociedad instead of hanging with his colleagues at Newcastle.

Isak seems a likeable guy but he has stepped over the edge and whatever happens - his imminent departure the most likely - the Newcastle fans will never look at him in quite the same lovestruck way.

Even though he scored the winner in their first major domestic cup win in 70 years, the sweet success will leave a sour taste.

Sign up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter

As the Alexander Isak transfer saga continues to rumble on, the team on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club have been discussing the striker's future, with Newcastle holding out for a record transfer fee after an initial Liverpool bid.

The i-Paper's Daniel Storey and Pat Nevin questioned Isak's behaviour.

But former Reds defender Stephen Warnock said he can understand why Isak has separated himself from the squad to some extent.

Warnock says the Sweden international is "not thinking of playing in the Champions League, he is thinking of winning it".

He added: "In Isak's mind that is a very different conversation, that is a different career path."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

'Why did you fall in love with your club?'

This week, we have asked hundreds of football fans across the world that very question and got hundreds of different answers.

Yes, the themes might be similar - born near a ground; family supported the team; watched a certain player - but the individual story will be unique to each supporter.

The relationship between a fan and their club should not be underestimated, with people ploughing uncountable amounts of money, time and emotional energy into their support for their team.

But what is that makes us love our clubs the way we do?

"A lot of it comes down to our identity," researcher and co-writer of the Routledge Handbook of Sport Fans and Fandom Danielle Sarver Coombs told BBC Sport.

"We become part of this group that means so much to us. It becomes a way to find a community that you're a part of and to find a group of people that, no matter where you are, you could find a pub with other fans of your team. You have that kinship.

"In a world that's increasingly quite lonely, this provides one of the ways that we can have connections so we can have the feeling that we're part of something bigger."

Connection and identity plays a big role in someone's love for their club - particularly when it is a family link.

Many fans talk of being born into who they support - that the connection is so strong there was no other team they could, or would, have chosen.

"The great thing with football is that there's such a strong heritage component to it," Sarver Coombs said. "Often, your grandfather, father, mother or whomever was a fan of the team, so it's part of your family's tradition.

"It's handed down from generation to generation."

The uniqueness of football fandom is something researchers are increasingly investigating.

An article, external published earlier this year in psychology journal Frontiers discusses how football fans often follow follow teams with 'significant attachment and commitment, sometimes to the bewilderment of those outside of the game'.

"With football clubs, you have decades of tradition that you can tap into and it's going to keep coming," Sarver Coombs added.

"Players come and go, managers come and go, shirts change, badges change, but the club itself - the heart and soul of it remains constant. You always have that piece that you're tied to, so the longevity of clubs is a really important part.

"But also, that constant in-person opportunity to be present in a community space really sets football apart from other passions that may be transient or do not have that constant engagement."

Share your story in our My Club My Passion campaign

On the latest episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, the panel discuss Alexander Isak's behaviour as he seeks a move away from the North East.

The i Paper's Daniel Storey said: "I think we all suspected that he might like a move to Liverpool at some point, but to do it so publicly and go and train with your former club, it has made me think less of him."

Listen to the full episode here