Newcastle United

Lee Hawthorn
BBC Radio Newcastle

BBC Radio Newcastle have been discussing which player should be appointed captain for Newcastle United's 2026-27 season, following the departure of Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal.

Lee Hawthorn gave eight potential options for the the armband and you can read all about them on this page, but here are his top two players that he wants new head coach Matthias Jaissle to consider for captaincy.

2. Malick Thiaw

So, hands up, Malick Thiaw wasn't originally on this list. I had seen some chatter online about the defender potentially taking the armband but I hadn't really seen anything to suggest he would be. Obviously, Matthias Jaissle has seen something in the German that I haven't because Thiaw was the captain in the new head coach's first game in charge for the friendly with Valencia. There's a chance it was just a nice birthday presenter for Thiaw but at 25-years-old he's now one of the older players of the new crop for Newcastle 2.0 and was one of the few players who finished last season with any credit. I still think there is a chance Newcastle will name a club captain, but now my eyes have been opened to the very real possibility to Malick Thiaw leading the Mags out at St. James' Park this season.

1. Dan Burn

He's from Blyth. He was selected for England's 2026 World Cup squad by Thomas Tuchel largely because of his ability to set standards in training and be a leader in the dressing room and he has always given his all for the club since arriving in the summer after the takeover. If Lewis Hall and Sven Botman stay fit, you can't imagine Burn will get too many minutes on the pitch, but his experience, connection to the club and his general demeanor make him a natural choice for club captain. He has already etched his name in the club's history with that iconic header in the Carabao Cup final, imagine if he was the one lifting the next trophy with the armband on.

Scroll down for the full discussion or listen to the full clip above and on BBC Sounds here

Tell us, who do you think should be captain?

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Newcastle United defender Alex Murphy has joined Bundesliga 2 side FC Kaiserslautern on a season-long loan.

The 22-year-old, who joined the Magpies from Galway United in July 2022, has only made eight senior appearances for the club since making his Premier League debut against Chelsea in November 2023.

His first senior start for the club came in January 2026, as Eddie Howe's side reached the Champions League last 16 with an impressive 9-3 aggregate victory against Qarabag.

Lee Hawthorn
BBC Radio Newcastle

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Radio Newcastle have been discussing which player should be appointed captain for Newcastle United's 2026-27 season, following the departure of Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal.

Lee Hawthorn gave eight potential options for the the armband and you can scroll down this page to read about the first four players, as we now enter his top choices.

4. Lewis Miley

Is it too early for the 20 year old academy graduate? Possibly. But he's already worn the captain's armband before to huge approval from the Toon Army. With all the new signings being young lads, Newcastle 2.0 looks like it's all about the future. Miley has jumped up the pecking order in midfield with the departure of Bruno and Tonali. If he stays at the club, becoming captain feels inevitable at some point but perhaps Jaissle will opt to let the England youth international grow without the pressure of captaincy.

3. Jacob Murphy

The club's longest serving player and a long standing member of the dressing room's leadership team, Murphy will undoubtedly be part of the group of players setting the example in the new season. Will his nine years of loyalty be repaid with the armband?

With Anthony Gordon's departure meaning Harvey Barnes is more likely to play on his favoured left-side, the right wing is a battle between Murphy and Anthony Elanga. The Sweden international probably fits Jaissle's style-of-play better, but given the number of goal contributions Murphy has racked up - certainly in the 2024-25 season - he might be an experienced option to have on the pitch to help the young guns of Newcastle 2.0 settle in.

Follow the rest of the list across this page and hear listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

Marseille and Denmark midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, 31, has turned down the opportunity to join Newcastle. (Talksport), external

Manchester United are strongly considering a move for RB Leipzig and Germany defender David Raum, 28, after failing to sign England left-back Lewis Hall, 21, from Newcastle. (Teamtalk, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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The Premier League season is yet to get underway, but the second-round Carabao Cup draw has already been made.

As many as 11 Premier League teams are in the draw, with the format regionalised into northern and southern sections before round three.

Here is who the Premier League clubs have drawn:

Stoke v Hull

Newcastle v West Bromwich Albion

Nottingham Forest v Leeds

Preston v Everton

Ipswich v Leicester

Birmingham v Brentford

Fulham v AFC Wimbledon

Chelsea v Luton

Tottenham v Charlton

Plymouth v Coventry

All ties are to be played week commencing 24 August.

Lee Hawthorn
BBC Radio Newcastle

Image source, Getty Images

As you can read below this post, we have started a countdown of eight names who could become Magpies captain after the departure of Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal.

BBC Radio Newcastle's Lee Hawthorn gave eight potential options for the the armband and you can read his top selections for the role on Tuesday.

6. Lewis Hall

In a summer where multiple star players have left, there remains a question mark over Lewis Hall. Manchester United's rumoured interest is one that won't go away and the left back is probably the biggest saleable asset of the players remaining at St. James' Park. He's not the most vocal player on the pitch but a bit of conflict with Eddie Howe at the end of last season shows he does have some fire in him that could be moulded into leadership quality by the new head coach. At Just 21, he doesn't have a mountain of experience but he will be one of if not the first name of the team-sheet if he stays on Tyneside. Would giving the England international the armband convince him to stay a while longer? Possibly… but it's also a risk to name a player captain with quite a high possibility he may leave in the next 12 months.

5. Joelinton

I feel a little sorry for Joelinton. He has lost not only his captain but also his best mate at the club in Bruno and with Tonali also gone, Big Joe is the only one remaining of the trio many fans felt made the best midfield in the Premier League at one point. He'll be 30 when the new season starts and so is probably the oldest, most experienced member of the squad likely to be a regular starter in the team. It's likely we'll see the Brazilian wear the armband plenty one way or another, and the extra responsibility might be a way to temper his aggression and channel it in a more productive manner. Howe turned Joelinton from struggling striker to monster midfielder, could Jaissle turn Big Joe into a leader?

Follow the list across this page on Tuesday and hear the rest of the names throughout the day, or listen to the full clip on BBC Sounds here

Lee Hawthorn
BBC Radio Newcastle

Image source, Getty Images

Fans may be wondering which player should be appointed captain for Newcastle United's 2026-27 season, following the departure of Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal.

BBC Radio Newcastle's Lee Hawthorn has formed part of a debate and gave his top eight potential options among the current squad for the new head coach Matthias Jaissle to consider giving the armband.

8. Harvey Barnes

At 28-years-old, Harvey Barnes is a rare profile within the Newcastle United squad. The winger will be among the first names on the team-sheet, his new deal should give some security that he'll be at St. James' Park for a few years to come and he has plenty of experience under his belt. He doesn't come across as the most vocal of lads but maybe this is more of a lead by example situation. I don't expect he'll be named club captain, but possibly a member of the wider leadership group. It wouldn't be a complete surprise if he were team captain with some of the options for club captain not likely to start as often as the former Leicester City man.

7. Fabian Schar

At one point it was possible Newcastle would be without Fabian Schar this season. The Swiss international signed a contract extension at the end of the 2025-26 campaign and is one of the longest serving players at St. James' Park. In a period where lots of key personnel have left Tyneside, will Jaissle turn to a steady hand who has proven his loyalty to the club? With the emergence of Malick Thiaw, Schar's minutes may be limited but he's bound to be apart of the leadership group at the very least.

Follow the list across this page on Tuesday or listen to the full clip on BBC Sounds here

Ciaran Kelly
Newcastle United reporter

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Training always goes up a level when a new manager arrives, as players look to impress, but the intensity of the Matthias Jaissle's double sessions are said to have been "off the charts".

Such effort is a non-negotiable for Jaissle who, like Eddie Howe, wants his players to train the way they play and take that vigour into games.

During his spell at RB Salzburg, where he won back-to-back titles and reached the last 16 of the Champions League, Jaissle's aggressive side ranked first per game in the Austrian league for high turnovers (9.8) and possession won in the final third (5.6) per match.

Al-Ahli posted similarly fierce numbers under him - making 8.2 high turnovers per game and winning 47.6 duels per match - even as he adapted his approach with a new group to win successive Asian Champions League titles.

Striking a balance, as Jaissle did in Saudi Arabia, will be crucial if he is to succeed in the Premier League after he combined front-footed, vertical football with strong defensive foundations.

No wonder Jaissle has already stressed the importance of clean sheets, and the players were left sapped by the sheer number of recovery runs during a particular session.

Training was pared back on Thursday after Jaissle - stopwatch hanging from his neck - recognised the legs of his squad were "heavy".

He cuts a calm individual in interviews, but morphs into a rampaging figure on the training pitches.

Jaissle has brought three assistants with him in Alexander Hauser, Engin Yanova and Florens Koch, two coach analysts in Maximilian Fischer and Steffen Konrad and a goalkeeping coach, Alexander Bade.

But he made it clear how important it was for those already at the club to also "raise the standards" in his opening address.

Knowing Liverpool have had more time to adapt to life under a new manager, Andoni Iraola, staff have been working right up until the early hours on preparation and analysis.

New Czech Republic goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek only arrived less than a week ago, for example, but he has been getting a crash course on the added physicality of set-plays in the Premier League and how to cope with towering opposition players attempting to pile in on him following his £25.7m move from Braga.

Is he ready for the fight?

"For sure," Hornicek said.

Newcastle's young side will need such a spirit in the weeks, months and years ahead.

Read more on the new version of Newcastle here

Ciaran Kelly
Newcastle United reporter

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Following a damaging transfer window last summer, and a bruising domestic season, Newcastle have shifted their approach.

They have pivoted towards targeting younger players on the continent, strengthened their data operation and adopted a trading model, which has become especially necessary as part of a restrictive settlement following the club's breach of Uefa's financial rules.

It has not been without pain.

If Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon's departures to Tottenham and Barcelona were reluctantly needed to enable Newcastle to truly reinvest, the exit of captain Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal had never been part of the plan.

They have also missed out on top targets such as Spain winger Victor Munoz and Switzerland midfielder Johan Manzambi, who opted to join Liverpool and Aston Villa respectively.

Newcastle have still made five intriguing signings this summer - goalkeepers Lukas Hornicek and Ewen Jaouen, midfielders Aladji Bamba and Sean Steur and forward Bazoumana Toure - but sporting director Ross Wilson knows there is still work to do in the final weeks of the window.

"We have to build a model here that can compete, can win," he said.

"But also one that works for us and doesn't lead us to have to sell players we don't want to sell and lead to Uefa sanctions."

Matthias Jaissle's previous experience of developing young players at Red Bull Salzburg will therefore be vital.

There are also some overlaps with his predecessor Eddie Howe, which the German discovered in his own research and, likewise, in the analysis the club carried out about him during the interview process.

Yet it has still been a shock to the system.

Newcastle's Premier League opener against Liverpool, on 23 August, was rapidly hurtling down the track by the time the 38-year-old left Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli and was parachuted into the club's pre-season training camp in Spain at the weekend.

Performance director James Bunce likened the situation to a speed dating session because "every moment counts".

That has been evident in Jaissle's first week, which culminated in the 2-1 friendly win against Valencia at the Mestalla on Saturday.

Read more on Newcastle 2.0 here

Celtic have joined Ipswich Town in "monitoring the situation" over 34-year-old goalkeeper Nick Pope's future with Newcastle United. (Daily Mail), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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Newcastle head coach Matthias Jaissle says his side "still have a lot to work on" after their 2-1 win over Valencia in his first pre-season friendly.

Filip Ugrinic scored a spectacular opener for the hosts at the Mestalla before Jose Gaya was sent off for a wild lunge at Anthony Elanga, who was stretchered off as tensions rose between the teams.

Jaissle made four changes at the break with Yoanne Wissa, Sean Steur, Bazoumana Toure and Mason Miley all being introduced.

It was Wissa who changed the game, capitalising on a defensive error to slot home a leveler before tapping home a square ball from Toure to complete the comeback.

"We will not smash the locker room now and celebrate a lot," said Jaissle post-match.

"Winning games always helps to gain confidence. We also knew that we had a hard week behind us.

"The players did well and there was a huge commitment to see in each session, so they really deserve two days off and then we start again."

Ciaran Kelly
Newcastle United reporter

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Newcastle United manager Matthias Jaissle has quickly got to work.

Given the scale of this rebuild, perhaps, it was not a surprise that the 38-year-old repeatedly said the club was in "transition" when he first met with reporters at the club's pre-season training camp in Spain.

So what are the three big things in his in-tray?

Mould a hungry young side

Newcastle have signed five players who, like Jaissle, have never experienced the Premier League before.

Four of their arrivals this summer are 20 and under. The only exception? Goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek, who is not exactly an elder statesmen at 24.

However, Jaissler has experience of working with young players and, judging by his energy on the training pitches, he is relishing this challenge.

Replace Bruno Guimaraes

Newcastle have lost three key players in less than a year in Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali.

But captain Bruno Guimaraes' absence will be felt most keenly when he completes his move to Arsenal.

Newcastle still have six senior options in the middle of the park, including Joelinton and Jacob Ramsey.

They have signed a couple of highly-rated young midfielders this summer in the form of Sean Steur and Aladji Bamba, and academy graduate Lewis Miley is set for a key role.

But Jaissle will also need to add a little more experience with a midfielder who can help fill the huge void left by Guimaraes.

Get his ideas across quickly

Newcastle face Liverpool in their season opener on 23 August.

Given the start Newcastle have – they also meet Tottenham Hotspur, Bournemouth and Leeds United in the opening weeks of the campaign - Jaissle will have to get to grips with the Premier League pretty quickly.

He married an intense, front-footed playing style with solid defensive foundations at Al-Ahli, and striking such a balance at Newcastle will be crucial if he is to succeed.

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Newcastle United sporting director Ross Wilson says the club did not plan to sell Bruno Guimaraes, but their "very emotional" captain wanted to join Arsenal.

The Premier League champions are set to complete a £75m move for the midfielder following a breakthrough in talks this week.

Although Wilson said it was "disappointing" to see Guimaraes go, he stressed the 28-year-old did not want to "play here anymore".

"What we had to weigh up was, very respectfully from Bruno with his behaviour towards us, very emotionally as well, he effectively told us he wanted to leave and move on," he said.

"That doesn't mean he can go, but it certainly plays a part in what our thinking is when we hit a certain range of number.

"There's no part in saying it was part of our strategy and was in our thinking this summer - it wasn't.

"But we have got to be flexible and react to things that happen."

Guimaraes bid a tearful farewell to his team-mates and to staff before leaving the club's pre-season training camp in Spain.

He will become the fourth key player to move on in less than a year.

Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon joined Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona respectively earlier in the window, while Alexander Isak went to Liverpool last summer.

Losing Guimaraes is a particular blow, given his status as the club's talisman, but Newcastle chief executive David Hopkinson suggested Arsenal had hoped to pay a smaller fee after lower sums were initially floated for a player who turns 29 in November.

Read more here

Ciaran Kelly
Newcastle United reporter

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BBC Sport Newcastle reporter Ciaran Kelly has been answering questions on the Magpies' transfer business.

Neil asked: Do you know who Newcastle are looking to sign?

Ciaran answered: Exact targets are unsurprisingly being kept very closely under wraps as Newcastle United work on bringing in a replacement for departing captain Bruno Guimaraes, who is set to complete a £75m move to Arsenal.

A midfielder is a priority and, though all of Newcastle's outfield signings to date have been aged 20 and under, there is a recognition inside the club that they need a little experience, too.

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha has been heavily linked - the 25-year-old was previously on the club's radar back in 2023 - but that one has been batted away so far.

Newcastle intend to bring in at least two more players – a midfielder and a full-back – and that number could swell to three by the time the window shuts on 1 September.

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Newcastle United signed goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek from Braga earlier this month after his release clause was activated.

Portuguese football journalist Kevin Fernandes has provided some insight on what fans can expect from the new recruit.

Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle on his strengths, Fernandes said: "He is 6ft 6in but he doesn't act like it. His agility is amazing, his reflexes are top. Snap reactions, quick saves. He sweeps the ball really well and doesn't take too many risks.

"He's young so he could grow. He is top-level at shot stopping. He has been compared to the best in Portugal - Diogo Costa, the Portuguese national goalkeeper. Braga went to the semi-finals of the Europa League and he saved three penalties. Meanwhile, Nick Pope let in three more goals than statistics suggest that he should have.

"He saves so much. He is the sort of goalkeeper who wins Braga points. He's the difference between a loss, a draw and a win. He is a highly-rated prospect. He has been very highly-touted since he has risen through the ranks at Braga. It was a matter of time before this happened and it's where he belongs to me. It's where he has belonged since the beginning."

On his weaknesses, Fernandes added: "Hornicek is a secure ball player and can step into the backline quite comfortably but he is not flashy.

"If he can go long he is going to prefer to do that. He's comfortable, he's secure, he won't make mistakes. He is so punch-heavy, he plays very safe. He's going to punch first rather than take any lower percentage risks."

Listen to the full discussion below or on BBC Sounds here