Newcastle United are now in pole position to sign the impressive central defender ahead of Serie A giants Juventus, according to recent reports.
Howe says Newcastle vs Sunderland ‘sets the tone’
There’s nothing bigger than this weekend’s Tynewear Derby. Newcastle are set to face Sunderland in the Premier League for the first time since 2016 and will be aiming to crush the high-scoring Black Cats in style.
Eddie Howe’s side have finally found their goals back in recent weeks, but remain vulnerable at the other end, conceding a late equalizer against Bayer Leverkusen in midweek. However, in any derby, things go off the rails. Instead, Howe admitted his team would be “setting the tone”.
“If you don’t have the right excitement level and you over-hype or hype the players too much, you could go out there and play the game and then overthink things and not perform. We’re not playing the game.
“We’re creating the atmosphere. You need a cool head. But you also need passion. If you don’t have passion in this type of game, you can’t perform. So it’s a balancing act, trying to get the players in the right frame of mind.”
As if the Magpies needed extra motivation, they could secure a win and, if other results go well, move ahead of Sunderland and move into the top six. It could be the perfect turning point for their Premier League campaign.
Meanwhile, the loss once again exposes the amount of work Newcastle have to do in the January transfer window, whether they bring in a midfield star or sign Sassuolo defender Tarik Muharemovic.
Newcastle lead race to sign Tarik Muharemovic
According to TeamTalk, Newcastle are currently in pole position to sign Muharemovic ahead of Juventus in 2026. The central defender has consistently impressed in Italy this season and is being closely monitored by scouts at both St James’ Park and San Siro, courtesy of Inter Milan.
At 6ft 2in, Muharemovic could offer Howe a replacement for the injury-prone Sven Botman, along with Malik Thiau, who has continued to improve since joining in the summer.
League statistics 25/26 | Muharemovic | Thiau |
|---|---|---|
minutes | 990 | 993 |
progressive path | 36 | 50 |
tackle win | 8 | 10 |
ball collection | 35 | 45 |
The 22-year-old Sassuolo star is yet to reach the peak of his powers and Newcastle have the chance to swoop in early to sign an impressive addition.
Described by talent scout Jacek Kulig as an “excellent left-footed centre-back”, Muharemovic appears to have the world at his feet heading into 2026. Both Juventus and Inter are interested in signing him, but the Premier League could be in store.
Fewer touches than Ramsdale: Howe has to take down the Newcastle man who has won two duels.
Eddie Howe must drop the Newcastle United star ahead of this weekend’s much-anticipated Tyne-Wear derby.
After Thiau’s success, it’s no wonder Newcastle decided to repeat their transfer genius by sending a scout back to Serie A and the Sassuolo man.
