Newcastle United could be just two signings away from rekindling Eddie Howe's dream backline, and it's one that could rival the very best in the Premier League.
The Magpies are hoping to bring Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford to St James' Park this summer after missing out of the England shot-stopper 12 months ago. Trafford has emerged as the No 1 target for Newcastle as they look to sign a new first-team goalkeeper following the arrival of Ewen Jaouen on Wednesday. They face competition from Aston Villa and Leeds United, but having already held positive talks with Trafford's camp, confidence is high they can secure a deal.
That could spell the end of Nick Pope's time on Tyneside, but while the former Burnley man would leave after four years of sterling service, Newcastle would be left with an exciting goalkeeping department. Ahead of them could be a defence which can return United back to the mean unit which helped to propel them to the Champions League in 2023.
Much depends on keeping full-backs Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall on Tyneside, with inevitable interest in the pair from Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United among others. Both have huge futures, with Livramento at the World Cup with England and Hall somehow overlooked by Thomas Tuchel, but a shoo-in for future squads. As full-back pairings go, they would rival anything in the Premier League, or even around Europe, with the likes of Arsenal looking on jealously.
Eddie Howe has four strong centre-backs at the club already, but the feeling is they would be in the market for an exciting new stopper should the right opportunity come along. As things stand, Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman are very much the way forward, although it's impossible to rule out Fabian Schar and Dan Burn holding down a place in the side should they get the opportunity.
Thiaw was the undoubted signing of the summer from a Newcastle perspective, and United would be keen to emulate that success with another under-the-radar signing. They have been linked with Toulouse's Dayann Methalie and Roma's Evan Ndicka in a move which would ease the pressure to find Burn and Schar replacements in 12 months. While Thiaw has performed consistently, Botman has perhaps struggled to find the form he showed in his first seasons at the club, with injuries taking their toll.
He is a player who needs time in the side to find his best levels, and it was noticeable that Howe kept him in the side despite some poor results towards the end of last season. Trafford, Hall, Livramento and Thiaw are all under 25, and with any new signings likely to fall into a similar age bracket, it could give United a strong backline for years to come.
Transfer interest in Newcastle's top stars is inevitable, but a return to a consistent, reliable unit will go a long way towards United achieving their goals for next season - and they could just be a couple of transfers away.
