Football is a funny business, it is still unclear who will be in charge of Newcastle come the summer with Rafael Benitez’s contract situation being likened to an F1 driver in a slow car.
However, with the Magpies Premier League status assured for another season, sports betting sites will be keeping a sharp eye on Newcastle’s summer activities in the hotseat and the playing staff ahead of making their 2019/20 season predictions.
So, lets take a side step away from the gaffer for a moment and take a look at some of the potential incomings this summer as the club try to avoid yet another relegation fight (if there is any money that is).
Yohan Cabaye
Yep, you read that right, former Magpie Yohan Cabaye is being linked back to the club (albeit loosely) where he really made his name.
Without a club since January after leaving Dubai based Al-Nasr, the Frenchman netted 17-goals in 79 league appearances for Newcastle before getting a dream move to PSG in 2014.
One season later and Cabaye was back in the Premier League with Crystal Palace where he proved to be a vital contributor making nearly 100 league appearances.
At 33 it is safe to Cabaye is probably past his best but is still capable of recreating some of the magic that made him such a hit at St James Park from 2011 to 2014.
Jan Carlos Hurtado
Here on this very site we reported that rumours are rife in Argentina that the Magpies are interested in signing teenage striker Jan Carlos Hurtado from Gimnasia in the Argentinian top-flight.
The 19-year-old made his international debut for Venezuela in March in and scored six goals in twenty appearances for former club Deportivo Táchira before moving to Gimnasia in 2018.
Diego Laxalt
Rapid left-back Diego Laxalt is reportedly on Benitez’s radar and could be offered to the Magpies after a difficult season with AC Milan.
The Uruguayan has made 19 appearances for the Rossoneri but has failed to impress Gennaro Gattuso since arriving from Genoa in 2018.
However, the news of Laxalt’s potential move to Tyneside is an exciting one as the 26-year-old has undoubted quality playing at left-back or on the left wing and is known for lung busting fast paced runs.
Laxalt would bring attacking qualities to the Magpie camp that is somewhat lacking from the back and a welcome addition to the club and would cost around £15.5 million.
Kenedy
Brazilian Kenedy has been on loan with the Magpies this season and played a large bulk of the campaign.
However, this one may not actually happen because Chelsea want a reported £30 million to make the deal permanent.
Now 23, Kenedy struggled to make it into the Chelsea first-team having made just 15 league appearances scoring once for the Blues before being shipped out on loan.
This is Kenedy’s second loan spell with the club and it is safe to say he had not impressed as much as his first spell in the North East with Benitez (or whoever’s in charge) set to snub the chance of bringing him in on a permanent deal.