Sports
Real Madrid make stance clear as Newcastle eye Trent Alexander-Arnold
Newcastle United are pushing hard to land arrivals and have made their interest known in a summer move for an England star who will be battling for a place at the 2026 World Cup.
Newcastle United look to make January improvements
The Magpies have endured a mixed start to the Premier League campaign and will hope to turn around what has been an inconsistent run domestically, though they will take pride in their EFL Cup endeavours, with a semi-final to come.
European football has also been an avenue of joy for Eddie Howe. However, he will know that the bread and butter of the English top-flight needs to improve, though he has hinted that Yoane Wissa’s full integration into starting matches may still take some time.
He said before his side faced Burnley: “With Yoane, I think we’ve got to look after him. He’s still relatively early in his return to full fitness. He did really well in his one start, against Fulham – I was really pleased with him on that day, and there’ll be other opportunities.
“The problem for us is, with our schedule, playing every three, four days, I don’t think he’s in a condition where he could start regularly at the moment. But hopefully we can manage him to that point at some stage.”
January will be a key time for reinforcements from middle to front, and AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit is on Newcastle’s radar with a potential £22 million deal in January viewed as a distinct possibility.
Now, the Toon may be in the market for an audacious swoop, though it has now become clear whether the player in question could be a realistic signing at St James’ Park.
Newcastle United keen on Trent Alexander-Arnold deal
According to reports in Spain, Newcastle are keen on bringing Real Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold back to the Premier League, with a summer move most likely to be in the offing.
However, despite their willingness to pay €40m (£35m) for the England international, the European heavyweights believe he will prove successful in the Spanish capital after a difficult start since joining from Liverpool.
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Newcastle are missing some vim and vigour in the middle of the park.
Injuries have restricted Alexander-Arnold to 11 appearances for Real Madrid, and he notched an assist against Athletic Club earlier this month before being ruled out once again due to a muscle tear.
Fitness issues, rather than form, have been his downfall this campaign. However, he is definitely going through a period of adaptation, something that has saw him struggle to replicate his exploits at Anfield.
Manchester City and Manchester United are also keen on his signature, both of which would be surprise moves due to his boyhood allegiances. He was also labelled one of the best “technicians” worldwide by former Premier League star Stephen Kelly in 2024.
Still, Real Madrid look set to hold firm for now, and it remains to be seen if that will change during the summer window when they have time for a period of reflection on his debut season.
