Newcastle United ‘eye’ 71-goal striker but face stiff Aston Villa, Man Utd and Chelsea competition

Here, we round-up all the latest stories that have emerged surrounding Newcastle United and beyond:

Newcastle United and PL trio ‘eye’ Ligue 1 star

Lille striker Jonathan David has yet again been tipped for a move to the Premier League with a quartet of clubs reportedly interested in his signature. David has 13 goals and 6 assists in all competitions this season and has been among Ligue 1’s top performers over the last few seasons, netting 71 times for the club since moving from Gent in 2020.

His haul of eight goals this term may pail in comparison to his 24 strikes last season, but that hasn’t diminished interest in his services. According to Football Transfers, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Newcastle United have all expressed an interest in signing David when the summer transfer window opens.

David will likely cost over £40m this summer and Lille will be reluctant to see their star man leave, however, with just over one year remaining on his current contract with the club, they may be forced to sell in order to avoid losing him on a free transfer in 2025. Brentford have also emerged as surprise contenders for his signature with the Bees reportedly eyeing David as a potential replacement for Ivan Toney should he leave the Gtech Community Stadium as expected this summer.

Barcelona put ex-Premier League stars ‘up for sale’

Barcelona have reportedly put a number of players ‘up for sale’ this summer in a bid to reduce their current wage bill. Among those that could be allowed to leave the Camp Nou is former Leeds United winger Raphinha and ex-Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen - according to the Mirror.

Both players have been linked with moves to St James’ Park in the recent past with this latest development potentially allowing the Magpies to swoop for their signatures when the window opens. Whilst Christensen has emerged as a potential option only recently, Raphinha has been regarded as a long-term Magpies target.

When leaving Leeds United in 2022, the Brazilian was wanted by a number of clubs with Newcastle United chief among those interested in him. However, he instead opted to move to Spain and join the five-time Champions League and European Cup winners.