Newcastle United have been dealt another major blow after their deal for Johan Manzambi was hijacked by Aston Villa, and now they are on the hunt for alternatives.
The Magpies reached an agreement with Freiburg on a deal worth €60m (£51.2m) to sign Switzerland's star man following a breakthrough World Cup campaign, and had agreed personal terms with the 20-year-old too. However, Villa swooped in and struck an agreement, leaving Newcastle empty-handed once again.
It's a familiar feeling for Eddie Howe's side, following similar situations with Benjamin Sesko, Hugo Ekitike, and Victor Munoz over the last 12 months, and now they are finding a way to strengthen the midfield without their top target being in contention.
Newcastle Eyeing Archie Gray Move
According to The Chronicle Live, Newcastle are now eyeing up a move to sign Tottenham star Archie Gray as an alternative to Manzambi.
Gray, who has bene described as 'phenomenal', was one of the club's top performers in 2025/26 as they narrowly avoided relegation to the Championship, and there is big belief that he could go on to become a future England star in the coming years.
The 20-year-old won a clean sweep of Spurs' player of the season awards for the campaign, and that has caught the attention of Newcastle and Howe, as they look to replace Sandro Tonali in their midfield too.
It was revealed earlier this month that Newcastle had a formal bid rejected by Tottenham for the midfield talent, who can also play across the back four, but they are now considering returning for him after their latest transfer window setback.
It's unclear if Spurs would be willing to sell him, despite having signed both Tonali and Mateus Fernandes for a combined £185m this summer, but Newcastle could be ready to swoop to offer him more regular first-team football.
Gray a Typical Newcastle Signing
Newcastle would absolutely love to bring in a player like Archie Gray this summer, but the circumstances around their interest have likely put a dampener on things.
Gray is an incredibly talented young footballer, and someone that Eddie Howe would love to work with, to help develop, and also to help improve the team across a number of positions.
It won't be cheap, but they clearly need to make an impact in the market at this stage, and with Gray's game time likely to be more limited in north London, it's one to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.