Newcastle United’s summer transfer window certainly hasn’t gone to plan so far as the club have failed to bring in any new attacking reinforcements ahead of the upcoming season - and their latest attempt to sign Chelsea forward Timo Werner is now also expected to crumble.
The Blues striker had been tipped for a season-long loan switch to the Magpies, but now looks set to perform a transfer U-turn in favour of a return to Germany, as Eddie Howe prepares to add him to a growing list of failed deals this summer.
However, Newcastle aren’t prepared to give up and are now being back to sign Blues winger Callum Hudson-Odoi as they plan another fresh raid.
Mirror Football reported last week that Newcastle had entered advanced negotiations with Chelsea over signing Werner on a loan deal until the end of the 2022/23 campaign, and would demand that an obligation to buy would be inserted into the contract clause.
Werner has struggled in his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge with just 23 goals in 89 appearances in all competitions, in which he has failed to hit double figures in each of his two Premier League campaigns, and has long been tipped to depart west London this summer.
Newcastle’s wealth and ambitious project had put them at the top of the list to sign the 26-year-old, who is desperate to succeed in the English top flight, but he is now set to perform a transfer U-turn after it was revealed by Sky Sports in Germany that talks between Werner and former club RB Leipzig are "in full swing" ahead of a potential return.
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The Germany international enjoyed a highly productive four years with the Bundesliga club, scoring 95 times in 159 appearances in all competitions, including 34 goals in 45 games in his final season at the club which earned him his £47.5 million move to the Blues. However, he is now in favour of a move back to his old stomping ground.
That has left Newcastle facing another transfer fail, but there could still be one small glimmer of hope involving their Premier League rivals in the capital. Early last month, The Sun reported that the Magpies had turned their attention towards Chelsea winger Hudson-Odoi after being rebuffed by Everton in their attempts to sign Anthony Gordon, with the Blues said to be willing to listen to offers for the 21-year-old this summer.
And following Chelsea’s capture of Raheem Sterling from Manchester City in July, Hudson-Odoi has been pushed further down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge and is now at serious risk of seeing his career in west London come to nothing, following on from just 15 Premier League appearances last season.
Now, according to journalist Rob Pratley, via TEAMtalk, Newcastle have opened dialogue with Chelsea over the possibility of signing Hudson-Odoi permanently. Pratley tweeted: "Newcastle have formally started talks with Chelsea over a potential signing of Callum Hudson-Odoi. The fee would be significant, and Chelsea are pondering over trying to include a buyback clause."
It is not yet clear how much Chelsea’s asking price will be for the England U21 international, but with Newcastle yet to sign any attacking players this summer ahead of Saturday’s Premier League opener against Nottingham Forest, they may well be forced into going all out for their targets in order to boost their options in the final third.
