Newcastle could be forced to enter the transfer market for a new midfielder, with Bruno Guimarães and Sandro Tonali emerging as targets for Arsenal and Tottenham respectively.
Michael Carrick and Eddie Howe have the same goal (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
Newcastle have shortlisted Manchester United target Felix Nmeka ahead of a potential midfield rebuild. The Magpies will lose Bruno Guimarães and Sandro Tonali to their Premier League rivals this summer.
Tottenham have reportedly agreed personal terms with Tonali, but Arsenal appear to have rejected a move for Guimarães. Newcastle therefore have contingency plans in place that could deprive United of a march.
The Mail reports that 25-year-old Nmeka is one of the midfielders being considered at St James’ Park. What’s more, the German player has been on the radar of manager Eddie Howe for several years.
Nmeka is currently playing with the German national team at the World Cup, starting all three games in the group stage and scoring one goal and providing one assist. His contract with Borussia Dortmund has a release clause of £73.5m, and Dortmund signed him from fellow Bundesliga side Wolfsburg in 2023.
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Previously, Nmeka spent 14 years at Manchester City, making three first-team appearances under manager Josep Guardiola. His older brother Lucas also played for City when he was younger and now plays for Leeds.
Nmeka is under contract at Dortmund until 2030, but signed a new long-term deal in March before helping Niko Kovac’s side to a second-place finish and Champions League qualification. But that hasn’t deterred speculation about his future, especially after Germany made it through the World Cup group stages and booked a match against Paraguay in the last 32.
A box-to-box midfielder, he enjoys getting forward and firing, scoring six goals while providing three assists last season. But his 6-foot-3 frame allows him to win aerial duels and break up plays.
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Felix Nmeka has started every game for Germany (Image: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Having moved to Manchester as a child, he will probably have no problem returning to life in the UK. Raised by a Nigerian father and a German mother, he has embraced each culture he has experienced.
“A lot of the Nigerian culture is about being disciplined, whether it’s food, well-being, or even a business mindset,” Nmeka told SW magazine. “The German side is also very disciplined and has good values and morals.
“And on the English side, I think a lot of British people are very open when it comes to conversation, they laugh a lot, and they’re also hardworking.”
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