Newcastle United are preparing for a busy summer transfer window with big improvements planned for the starting XI.
This season, Toon boss Eddie Howe has barely been able to rotate his Newcastle United side due to a lack of squad depth. Those problems were heightened when Newcastle sold Lloyd Kelly and Miguel Almiron in the January transfer window to help their fight against PSR.
Despite the setbacks to the squad, Newcastle still find themselves fighting for a place in the Champions League off the back of their first cup win in 70 years.
Sporting director Paul Mitchell’s plan is to sign young players for the future with the idea that they will work closely with Howe to develop them into top players.
The Magpies have already been working on transfer business for the summer, having already made three youth signings this season. Antonio Cordero is close to joining Newcastle from Malaga on a free transfer. The 18-year-old has impressed in the Segunda Division this season, scoring five goals and bagging five assists.
Newcastle also have their eyes on the Serie A, with a lot of talent cropping up in that league. A new report has now suggested that a move to the Premier League could be on the cards.
Assane Diao wants Premier League move amid Newcastle United links
Como attacker Assane Diao has been exceptional for the Serie A side this season, scoring five goals in his first 12 appearances.
Diao has benefited from being managed under former Arsenal and Chelsea star Cesc Fabregas, while playing for experienced players like Pepe Reina, Sergi Roberto and Dele Alli.
The 19-year-old only signed in January, but his form has caught the eye of teams across Europe, including Newcastle.
Reports earlier in 2025 claimed Newcastle were ‘attentive’ to Diao’s situation; they will be even more so following the latest transfer report.
According to Italian outlet TuttoJuve, Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester United are all ‘thinking about signing’ Diao, who joined Como for £10m earlier this year.
Furthermore, the report suggests that Diao is ‘enthusiastic’ about moving to the Premier League this summer, with the 19-year-old eager to play in a competition where he can show off his versatility and natural pace to a wider audience.
It is believed that Como may be reluctant to sell him, however, given how soon it has been since he joined.
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Eddie Howe will love Assane Diao quality
Howe has been accustomed to giving young players a chance in Newcastle’s first-team squad, with young stars like Lewis Miley having an incredible rise to the starting XI in the last two years.
More recently, Howe picked Leo Sharar for Newcastle’s matchday squad for the win against Brentford. Although he did not end up playing it is a sign of the 47-year-old’s willingness to play talented prospects from Newcastle’s academy.
Fans will hope it will be the same case for Diao if he ends up joining Newcastle this summer.
Diao is versatile, a quality Howe is a big fan of and something he wants his players to have. The Senegal international can play anywhere in the front three, giving Howe much-needed options in attack when the likes of Anthony Gordon or Alexander Isak are not available.
Mitchell has completely changed the culture at Newcastle this season, fans should expect to see more young players come through the door in the coming years.
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