Three deals now 'unlikely' and Toon in talks over Southampton, Leeds & Leicester stars - Report

The Telegraph have released another exclusive on the Toon transfer front, revealing five relegated players on our radar along with updates on Moussa Diaby, Dominik Szoboszlai and James Ward-Prowse.

Luke Edwards kicks off by naming Southampton's Romeo Lavia and Kyle Walker-Peters as names we've discussed in end-of-season transfer meetings, with Leeds' Tyler Adams also cropping up along with Leicester pair James Maddison and Harvey Barnes.

While we remain keen on a host 'elite' level signings, we are 'exploring' potential bids for recently relegated gems deemed good enough to bolster our squad and/or improve Eddie Howe's first-team.

The report states that James Ward-Prowse is another Saints star we like, but a £50m price tag for someone turning 29 this year has lessened the appeal on that particular deal.

As for Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby and RB Leipzig’s Dominik Szoboszlai, it's thought those deals look 'unlikely' as things stand, with both set to demand huge transfer fees AND massive wages. It's early days, but The Telegraph state that the 'Newcastle tax' still exists, seeing selling clubs demand premium prices from Saudi-backed owners.