Newcastle United

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Welcome to the second part of Lee Clark's top five greatest managers to have managed Newcastle United.

At number three is Kevin Keegan. Under 'King Kev's' leadership between 1992 and 1997, Newcastle were promoted to the Premier League and came runners-up in 1996 and 1997.

"A man who had come in and changed the landscape of the club as a player. then came in and did something crazy as a manager," Clark told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"The reason he is not in the top two is because he couldn't find that elusive trophy. In 1995, we got close - we got ridiculously close.

"The brand of football, the excitement, just the way he turned the club around."

Clark names current boss Eddie Howe at number two. Howe took charge of the club after takeover in late 2021 and has guided the club to two Champions League qualifications, as well as winning their first trophy in 70 years after beating Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.

"I think he is an outstanding manager," Howe said. "He is the perfect manager for us because he gets the club and the area.

"His work ethic is ridiculous, and his ability to develop players is unbelievable. They play an exciting brand of football, on the front foot.

"He has improved us and also got us one of the best seasons ever by winning that elusive trophy and getting us into the Champions League."

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Come back later on Thursday to see who Clark put at number one

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Throughout Thursday, we will be revealing who former Magpies captain Lee Clark thinks are the top five managers in the history of Newcastle United.

At number five, Clark has gone with Doug Livingstone. He was in charge of the club from December 1954 and led the club to an FA Cup win in 1955.

"This is someone who the older fans will remember," Clark said. "And why he is in there is because he won silverware for our club.

"It's not an easy thing as a Newcastle manager!"

At number four, he chose Livingstone's predecessor at St James' Park, Stan Seymour, who was in charge of the club on three different occasions between 1939 and 1958.

Under his stewardship, the club won back-to-back FA Cups in 1951 and 1952, making him the first person to win the trophy with the same club as a player and a manager.

"This was quite a tough one, and the only reason I have put him at four and not higher is because it was before my era.

"Seymour led us to two FA Cup wins and to do that in any era is tough. He could have easily been higher."

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As Anthony Elanga prepares to race down the Newcastle right flank, likely competing with Jacob Murphy for a starting berth, it seems the Magpies now have depth in wide areas.

On the left, Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes should vie for a place in the XI and, while reputation and links to other clubs seem to give Gordon a certain glow in the footballing world, it would be fair to say he has to produce than he did in 2024-25.

Last season, Gordon offered a combined 11 goals and assists. It meant he scored or created a goal every 222 minutes. In his previous campaign, he scored or created every 138 minutes, offering a combined 21 goals and assists.

By comparison, last season Harvey Barnes scored or created every 135 minutes. These basic numbers alone point to Gordon having a fight on his hands and - as the graph above displays - they point to a slide in form.

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In truth, 2024-25 saw Gordon slip in several key output metrics. He underperformed his xG of eight goals, scoring six. He created fewer chances, his shot conversion fell from 14% to 10% and his dribble success percentage fell too.

Naturally, some figures fell given he played over 400 minutes less across the Premier League season - down from 2,898 in 2023-24.

But there has been a clear decline.

Within all this, perhaps spare a thought for Barnes. Should he be more nailed on as a starter? A goal or assist every 135 minutes in 2024-25 and every 99 minutes in 2023-24. He has been a model of efficiency.

Will he start more? Could Elanga even switch flanks?

There are many questions for boss Eddie Howe to ponder. Perhaps the most telling will be whether Newcastle get Gordon of 2023-24 or the 2024-25 version?

Newcastle United have rejected a third bid from Leeds United for 27-year-old English midfielder Sean Longstaff. (Northern Echo, external)

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

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Noel Sliney
BBC Sport

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Anthony Elanga demonstrated just how good he is at moving the ball up the pitch at pace when he did so from his own half to score Nottingham Forest's winner against Manchester United in April.

The average distance of his ball carries last season was 14.3 metres, the most in the Premier League among the 306 players who spent at least 1,000 minutes on the pitch.

As noted on this page on Tuesday, only Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and-mate Jacob Murphy, who is Newcastle's current first choice on the right of their attack, provided more assists than the 11 by Elanga last season.

Murphy was directly involved in 20 of Newcastle's 68 goals in 2024-25 but Newcastle may feel they need more options. Forest were the only side to use fewer players in the Premier League last season and the Magpies face a minimum eight additional matches after qualifying for the Champions League.

Colin Fray
BBC Radio Nottingham reporter

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Watching Anthony Elanga play is a lot of fun!

As they always, and quite rightly say "there's no substitute for pace", and if you have end product after the run, it is a dangerous combination.

That is why Newcastle want Elanga, and that is why Forest have been reluctant to part with him.

Ultimately, though, Forest will feel that they have a good deal financially, and for them it is about how they spend to replace the Sweden international. That is going to be crucial going forward for Nuno Espirito Santo's side, because Elanga was excellent for the Forest head coach.

When he was going through a lean spell, Nuno publicly backed him, and was proved right as Elanga bagged six goals and 11 assists last season – improving both from the previous campaign.

With Newcastle, he will have a Champions League campaign to look forward to, and Eddie Howe will be hoping he can provide the assists for compatriot Alexander Isak in the Magpies' forward line.

Always smiling, his bubbly enthusiasm is infectious, and he fitted perfectly into the Forest dressing-room spirit that took them so far last season.

It was fun talking to him, and it was fun watching him... and if you want to know how much fun, just have a look at his winning goal against Manchester United last season – a solo run from his own half, holding defenders off and then finding a finish.

Classic Anthony Elanga.

The BBC's search to find a new football expert is under way, with 12 content creators competing in Last Pundit Standing to win a role as BBC Sport's next football content creator.

The first two episodes of the show - co-hosted by former Watford captain Troy Deeney and YouTuber and football presenter James Allcott - are available to watch on iPlayer, as well as BBC Sport's YouTube channel and TikTok account, with new episodes every week until 11 August.

The contestants, who were chosen from more than 400 applicants, will be whittled down through a series of tasks staged at iconic football locations as the creators are challenged by some of the biggest names in the game.

Read more about the show here

Watch the first two episodes of Last Pundit Standing now on BBC iPlayer

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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The attraction to Anthony Elanga for Newcastle is clear. Pace, skill and power from wide.

He is a player Magpies boss Eddie Howe has tracked for 12 months and now he has successfully got his man.

For the time being, Elanga will supplement the quality Newcastle already have in that area of the field in Anthony Gordon, Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes.

With Newcastle back in the Champions League next season, Howe needs quality options so he can rotate.

Elanga certainly provides that.

Whether the Sweden international's arrival indicates anything towards a departure out wide remains to be seen, but the club have been adamant none of their top players will leave this summer.

Noel Sliney
BBC Sports journalist

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It is little surprise that Newcastle have renewed their pursuit of Anthony Elanga, after a failed move last summer, as the winger's profile suits their high-energy and counter-attacking style under Eddie Howe.

Most obviously, Elanga provides pace and intensity. The 23-year-old recorded the third quickest top speed in the Premier League last season, while only Newcastle's Anthony Gordon sprinted more per 90 minutes than the Nottingham Forest winger. Gordon and Elanga on opposite flanks would be a daunting scenario for opposition full-backs.

The Swede provides an end product too, with 17 top-flight goal involvements last season – only Mohamed Salah and Jacob Murphy, who is Newcastle's current first-choice on the right of their attack, provided more assists than the 11 by Elanga. Five of those were from set-pieces and the other six from open-play crosses – both league highs.

Nonetheless, Elanga's crossing accuracy from open play last season was a lowly 17% and his dribbling stats were unremarkable: 71 attempted, with a 35% success rate. Which is not to accuse Elanga of being an ineffective dribbler – he demonstrated just how good at it he can be when carrying the ball at pace from his own half to score Forest's winner against Manchester United in April.

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We asked for your views on Newcastle United moving close to signing Anthony Elanga for a fee of £55m from Nottingham Forest.

Here are some of your comments:

James: A statement signing for us. Another top international player that should be European competition ready.

Rob: Great first summer signing. Eddie Howe will get the best out of him. I hope there is more to come. The small squad needs beefing up. It's going to be a long season. The more bodies, the better, if they want to progress in the cup competitions. Players seem to be reluctant to come this far north. Newcastle need to change that perception by having a stellar season.

Davey: At 23 years old, it's clearly very good business again. Lots of assists and some goals to add to an already effective front three. I can see him and Isak forming as good a partnership as Isak and Murphy did last season. More attacking options are always welcome. He's direct and fast, which is something we occasionally lack, so it's another way to break down defences.

Harry: Vital signing. Last season could have been so so different if Murphy got injured. Only having three wingers at the club left us so thin on the ground I don't think fans of other clubs fully appreciate. Always one or two injuries away from a crisis. Elanga will help with the extra Champions League games and we can go for a cup run hopefully!

Robert Z: He's a great young prospect: pacey, good dribbler and crosser of the ball. And he and Isak can speak Swedish to each other. Good addition up front.

Andrew: It's another big fee. So far, the big fee players have really paid off. But Elanga will know the pressure to achieve. I hope he has the personality and mentality of the other Newcastle players. If he trusts and listens to Eddie Howe, our front three will be unbelievable.

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With Newcastle United having now agreed a £55m fee with Nottingham Forest for winger Anthony Elanga, we want your views on the Magpies' likely next signing.

Will you be excited to see the 23-year-old Sweden international join the squad after his impressive season at Forest, or do you have doubts about the price tag?

Where will he fit into Eddie Howe's team and is he the right addition to push the side forward, especially with Champions League footballin 2025-26.

Get in touch with your thoughts here

Karan Vinod
BBC Sport Journalist

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Newcastle United's pursuit of Anthony Elanga underlines just how far the Swedish winger's stock has risen after a stellar 2024-25 campaign with Nottingham Forest. Having now agreed a £55m fee, the Magpies are set to add his pace, precision, and end product to their ranks going into a crucial season.

Elanga's statistical profile paints the picture of a player not just improving, but excelling in some of the most important attacking metrics. The radar chart below, provided by Opta via FBref, shows Elanga ranking in the top percentiles among Premier League attacking midfielders and wingers across multiple categories.

A percentile score reflects how a player compares to his positional peers - being in the 80th percentile for goal-creating actions means Elanga outperforms 80% of similar players in that key attacking measure. His high percentile for shot-on-target percentage signals not just an eye for goal but efficiency in making goalkeepers work - he doesn't waste chances.

His crossing output sits near the top of the scale, a vital asset for any team relying on width and delivery. For comparison, none of Newcastle's current wingers - Jacob Murphy, Harvey Barnes, or Anthony Gordon - averages more than 4.85 crosses per 90 minutes, whereas Elanga averages 6.65.

Meanwhile, his progressive carries - how frequently he moves the ball towards goal - highlight his directness and willingness to take on defenders, adding dynamism to Forest's attack. Even his goals-per-shot ratio reflects a sharpness in front of goal that is increasingly rare among wingers.

For Newcastle, these numbers represent everything they need: pace, efficiency, and creativity in the final third.

Their recent transfer frustration stems from failing to make these kinds of decisive moves early. Elanga, who can play wide or centrally, fits the profile of a player who could unlock defences both at home and in Europe.

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Newcastle United, Tottenham and Napoli are all monitoring England midfielder Jack Grealish after Manchester City set an asking price of £40m for the 29-year-old. (Sun), external

Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga is set to travel to Newcastle for a medical after the Tyneside club agreed a £55m fee to sign the 23-year-old Sweden international. (Sky Sports), external

The Magpies remain hopeful of winning the race to sign Crystal Palace and England centre-back Marc Guehi, 24. (GiveMeSport), external

Meanwhile, Newcastle have held fresh talks with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with manager Eddie Howe a long-term admirer of the 28-year-old England striker, who left Everton after his contract expired last month and has interest from Manchester United. (Talksport), external

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

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We asked for your favourite memories of striker Callum Wilson after he left the club following the conclusion of his contract.

Here are some of your comments:

Matt: He was magic on the pitch when Newcastle were hobbling around the bottom end of the table. But the one memory that stands out the most is Wilson responding to an emergency in the crowd when they played Tottenham and almost singlehandedly alerted all medical staff at the ground to it. What a guy. He has done the number-nine shirt proud.

Rod: Thanks Callum… always put in 100% but just cursed by constant injuries. A great natural goalscorer and definitely appreciated by all fans. Good luck for the future!

Peter: Wilson was part of a special group of players who kept us going in the "not so canny" days. He's been fantastic and I wish him all the best.

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Richard: At the cup final this year when he came on, I remember thinking: "Good move. Experienced and steady - he won't do anything silly." Straight away he took the ball right into the Liverpool corner and let them kick him for 30 seconds before letting it out for a throw. Not the most spectacular, but it was exactly what we needed. We'd have been in the Championship again if it wasn't for his goals before Alexander Isak came along.

Bobby: Generally just his robust, yet composed, style of play was always nice to watch. I wish there were more strikers like him.

Greg: What a servant to the club. He alluded to it in his message, but there really were some lows! To have such a quality player during those times was a rare spark of joy. I'm sure I can confidently say that the Toon army wishes Wilson the best of luck with whatever he chooses to do moving forward. Burnley and Leeds wouldn't go far wrong by looking to add Wilson to their line-ups for next season!

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

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Despite failing to score a Premier League goal in 2024-25, when he only started two games, Callum Wilson netted 47 times in 113 top-flight appearances during five seasons at Newcastle.

He averaged a goal every 143 minutes, the fifth-best record of any player with at least 15 goals during this period, bettered only by Erling Haaland, Alexander Isak, Mohamed Salah and Harry Kane.

His shot conversion rate of 23.7% also stacks up alongside the league's elite finishers, exactly the same as that of Newcastle team-mate Isak.

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Where Wilson has clearly struggled is with availability. A series of injuries, including calf, hamstring and back issues, meant he only started 71 of 190 league matches for the Magpies, equivalent to 37%.

While the arrival of Isak in 2022 has contributed to limited opportunities, fitness problems have meant he has only been in the matchday squad for half of Newcastle's Premier League matches over the past two seasons.

Champions League qualification means manager Eddie Howe will surely now be on the lookout for a more physically robust centre-forward to provide back-up for Isak in 2025-26.

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On the day Callum Wilson confirmed he will depart the club, Ralph from Lancaster asked: Hi Phil, when might we see Eddie Howe's "early signings"? Newcastle are the only top-six side still to join the market and surely need more strength in depth for the Champions League campaign?

Phil answered: Eddie Howe sat in front of us at St James' Park on the final day of the season after qualifying for the Champions League and stated very clearly the importance of getting deals done quickly.

It will be hugely frustrating for him and Newcastle's fans that this has not happened.

Joao Pedro, a prime target, went to Chelsea and Liam Delap – another player on Howe's list - did the same. The attempts to sign Antony Elanga from Nottingham Forest are dragging on.

Howe will really want some movement soon because, for all the success of last season in winning the Carabao Cup and reaching the Champions League, his squad was thin beyond his main first-choice team.

Newcastle need to start doing deals quickly or those frustrations will grow.

Follow the rest of Phil's Q&A here

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Callum Wilson has penned his goodbye to Newcastle fans as his departure from the club is confirmed.

The 33-year-old striker scored 49 goals in 130 appearances, during an injury-hit five years on Tyneside.

His contract expired this summer.

"It's time to say goodbye after an unbelievable few years in the Toon," he wrote on X. "Thank you for everything.

"We stood strong together through the highs and some lows to help the club experience new heights.

"I am so proud to have worn the iconic number nine shirt and to have added a little more history to it. Scoring at the Gallowgate End really is as special as they say.

"All good things come to an end but there's no doubt Newcastle United will always have a place in mine and my family's hearts.

"Thank you for the memories."

What are your fondest memories of Wilson?

Perhaps you met him, or you can remember a specific goal that stands out?

Let us know here

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We asked for your views on Steve Howey's list of the top five Newcastle United centre-backs of the past 50 years (scroll to 14:39 BST on 3 July to see his choices).

Here are some of your comments:

John: Howey was decent but lacked pace. Peacock wasn't great. Albert was silky but not a great defender. Coloccini did develop into a decent player. Woodgate was class. How these are the greatest of the last 50 years is beyond me. Glenn Roeder was probably better than most we have had.

Nick: Fabian Schar deserves to be in the top three - great composure and a mean shooter too. Always reliable.

Mark: I love Howey, but he's miles off with his list. The only list that should feature him and Woodgate near the top is injury-prone players. The top five should be 1. Coloccini 2. Albert 3. Schar 4. Burn 5. Woodgate.

Carl: You have to include Roeder, probably above Howey, for best defenders in the past 50 years

Liam: Not having either Schar or Dan Burn (or both) on that list is criminal. Howey putting himself at two is arguably even worse. I'd also be tempted to disqualify Coloccini after publicly expressing his desire to leave while he was our captain.

Jim: I agree with Howey's first choice. Woodgate was indeed the best centre-back I have seen in the black-and-white shirt as he could read a game like I can read a book. His ability to do this and not to break into a sweat was always a pleasure to watch. It was just unfortunate his time with us was too short.

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With Newcastle United's transfer business under the spotlight, former Magpies midfielder Lee Clark has called for sharper decision-making as the club looks to strengthen ahead of a pivotal season.

Newcastle United have Champions League football to offer in the upcoming season, but so far they remain inactive in the transfer market, with only speculation and rumours linking them to potential signings.

"It's a game of chess, isn't it, from the buying club to the selling club," Clark said on BBC Radio Newcastle. "The frustrating thing from Newcastle's point of view is that we seem to go in and have to do it three or four times.

"And when I say go in, I mean go in and get a bid rejected, whereas our rivals in the top six get close, maybe with the first offer and go smash it with the second.

"And with the type of players we are looking to bring in now, we are looking at the real elite level.

"Just seems to be that we are not making the right early moves in terms of making things happen. Obviously, you don't want to be paying over the odds. But we've gone three windows without really signing anyone in terms of seniority to help the team, and this summer is crucial for us - we've got to learn from the last Champions League campaign. Certainly got a terrific squad, but not big enough."

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