---
title: "Newcastle United: Luke Edwards drops big transfer claim"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/man-city-transfer-news-ake-ekitike-botman/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Adam Clancy"
section: "Newcastle United News"
published: "2022-06-07T20:34:47Z"
modified: "2022-06-07T20:34:47Z"
---

# Newcastle United: Luke Edwards drops big transfer claim

**Luke Edwards has now dropped a big [Newcastle United](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/newcastle-united-news/) claim regarding Hugo Ekitike, also sharing some transfer news involving Nathan Ake and Sven Botman.**

### The Lowdown: Ashworth in at Newcastle

As per the club’s [official website](https://www.nufc.co.uk/news/latest-news/dan-ashworth-begins-sporting-director-role/), Dan Ashworth has now started his role as Sporting Director at St James’ Park after they received formal approval from the [Premier League](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premier-league-news/) for him to move from Brighton and Hove Albion.

It means that he can work on transfers ahead of the start of the summer window, with the mega-rich Magpies [expected to be busy](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11678/12599934/newcastle-transfer-rumours-summer-transfer-window-2022) in the market.

### The Latest: Edwards’ transfer update

Taking to [Twitter](https://twitter.com/LukeEdwardsTele/status/1534065657066790912), Daily Telegraph journalist Edwards has revealed that Ashworth’s arrival at Newcastle ‘should speed up’ a deal for Ekitike, while Ake and Botman are at the ‘top of the list’ for centre-back targets.

He stated: *“The arrival of Dan Ashworth should speed up the completion of the Ekitike deal.* *#nufc will then focus their attention and money on landing one of their centre-back targets with Ake and Botman at top of the list.”*

\[freshpress-quiz id=”398104″\]

### The Verdict: Exciting

The reports that Newcastle are now seemingly closer to signing Ekitike following Ashworth’s arrival is very exciting for the Toon Army.

Dubbed the “[next Mbappe](https://twitter.com/GraemeBailey/status/1480587429698543620)” by some in France, the Reims striker – just like the Paris Saint-Germain superstar – has burst onto the scene in French football with 11 goals and four assists in 26 matches across all competitions this season ([Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/hugo-ekitike/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/709726/plus/0?saison=2021&verein=1421&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=&trainer_id=)), and he is a hot prospect at just 19 years of age.

\[freshpress-poll id=”385120″\]

As for Ake and Botman, the former [worked](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/nathan-ake/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/177476/plus/0?saison=&verein=&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=&trainer_id=10976) with Eddie Howe before at Bournemouth, while the latter – hailed as a “[golden boy](https://www.calciomercato.it/2022/01/07/esclusivo-calciomercato-botman-agente-milan-lille-miniero/)” by his agent Francesco Miniero – is one of the most promising centre-backs in the game at just 22.

Signing one of them on top of landing Ekitike would be a great start to the transfer window for the Magpies.

***In other news,*** [***find out which ‘superb’ colossus Ashworth is now eyeing here!***](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/newcastle-united-news/porto-transfer-news-costa-premier-league/)