Newcastle to seal perfect deal 🤝

Newcastle United’s first transfer deal done as big-money defender move confirmed

Newcastle United have completed their first transfer of the summer and are now £20million richer after Lloyd Kelly’s exit was confirmed.

The move for the former AFC Bournemouth was rubber-stamped on Sunday after Juventus beat Udinese 2-0 in Turin to book their place in Europe with the Europa Conference League the worst possible scenario for the ex-Italian champions. Getting into one of the UEFA competitions was one of the conditions for Kelly’s transfer to be completed this summer after what has been deemed a successful loan deal, with his temporary exit also banking Newcastle a £3m loan fee to add to the final sale price.

Kelly only arrived back in July on a free transfer from AFC Bournemouth, but his exit shaves off £7.8m a year from Eddie Howe’s wage budget. Howe did not want to part with former Bristol City defender Kelly and said last winter: “I don’t think it was necessarily my decision to let him leave, I think it was very reluctant from our side because Lloyd’s a player that had just recently signed and we believed in him and his qualities.”

Juve sit in fourth place ahead of their final game of the season at the Allianz Stadium. Victory will book their place in the Champions League on Sunday – just like Newcastle as they prepare to take on Everton!

The transfer represents great business from a United point of view given they did not pay a penny for Kelly. He was not a regular at St James’ Park and ended up making only four Premier League starts for Newcastle.

His exit also means that Newcastle’s wage bill has cleared off £150,000 per week to bolster the kitty going into the summer window.

Sven Botman posts 17-word message after mixed Newcastle United injury news
Jordan Cronin
4 – 5 minutes

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Newcastle United lost another two players to injury just as one key man returned.

Newcastle United have been handed a big injury boost heading into the final four matches of the 2024-25 season.

Saturday’s 3-0 win against Ipswich Town at St James’ Park saw Newcastle move up to third in the Premier League table and further underline their Champions League qualification credentials. To achieve that, the Magpies must finish inside the top five.

And the race is tight. United sit third on 62 points, Manchester City are fourth on 61 points, while Chelsea and Nottingham Forest occupy fifth and sixth, respectively, on 60 points, although Forest have a game in-hand which is at home to Brentford on Thursday night.

Newcastle United handed big injury boost

Eddie Howe’s side make a long trip to Brighton & Hove Albion this Sunday and are boosted by the recent return of key defender Sven Botman.

There were fears Botman’s campaign could be over after it was decided he required surgery on a knee issue that had kept him sidelined since the 2-0 Carabao Cup semi-final second leg win over Arsenal on February 5.

An initial assessment determined the Dutchman’s injury to be minor but around a month later he went under the knife. The 25-year-old was expected to be missing until the beginning of May but returned ahead of schedule.

He trained with his teammates last week and was named on the bench for the Ipswich game. As the afternoon fizzled out, Howe was able to introduce Botman for the remaining 10 minutes, marking his first appearance for 11 weeks.

Speaking after the game, Howe said: “Yeah, he is slightly ahead [of schedule] but he trained this week and trained really well. Looks excellent. He’s looked after himself, he’s done everything right to try and come back as quickly as possible. He is a great professional, he’s also a big presence for us. We’ve missed him.

“It’s great to be able to bring him on the pitch in a game that maybe wouldn’t stress him as much as normal. So, it was a perfect reintroduction to the game.”

Botman has played just six times this campaign. He was ruled out for 10 months with an ACL injury before picking up a second knee injury in February, although the issue was in his opposite knee.

Commenting on his comeback, Botman wrote on Instagram: “Back outside again with the team and fans! BIG win yesterday— 4 finals, 1 mission. Locked in. #FinalPush”

Sven Botman returns but two players sidelined

Although Newcastle have been bolstered by Botman’s return, there is a risk they will now lose Joelinton to another spell on the sidelines.

The Brazilian has been nursing a knee injury, one that forced him to miss the whole of February. He had played the last 10 consecutive matches for club and country but the injury flared up in training on Friday.

“He’s going to see a specialist,” Howe explained. “I’m sure he’ll be scanned there as well. But he trained yesterday but just felt his knee wasn’t 100% right. And that’s the knee that he had an injury with earlier in the season.

“He’s done brilliantly to play through the number of games that he has without being 100% fit. But he got to the point where he felt he needed a slight intervention. So let’s keep our fingers crossed it’s not serious.”

Matt Targett is another who could miss the remaining month of the campaign after he sustained a hamstring last week. The left-back struggled badly with injuries in the last two seasons having been restricted to just 11 appearances.

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‘Newcastle to seal perfect Liam Delap deal’ – Fans react to journalist’s update
Aasif Rahman
4 – 5 minutes

Credit: Hasan Karim, Breaking Media

Aasif Rahman

Fri 25 April 2025 16:59, UK

Newcastle fans are urging the club to sign Liam Delap after a promising update emerged regarding their pursuit of the young striker.

Delap is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after forwards in English football and could be available for a fee of around £30 million, particularly if Ipswich Town are relegated from the Premier League.

The 22-year-old has previously been linked with several top clubs, including Chelsea and Manchester United, as both sides look to bolster their attacking options ahead of the summer window.

Football Insider revealed back in March that Newcastle are among the clubs keeping a close eye on Delap’s situation and are actively pursuing a deal to bring him to St James’ Park.

While some supporters may have initially feared the interest in Delap might be a sign that Alexander Isak could be on his way out, a fresh update has reassured fans and sparked excitement.

Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap is a target for Man United.
Photo Credit: Imago
Newcastle see Liam Delap as strike partner for Alexander Isak instead of a replacement

Luke Edwards of The Telegraph reported that Newcastle are “keen on a summer move” for Delap and are expected to scout him closely when their respective sides meet this weekend.