Newcastle to kick off spending spree with £12m Trippier
Newcastle United have agreed a £12m deal to make England full-back Kieran Trippier their first signing since the club’s Saudi takeover.
Former Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley defender Trippier, 31, is poised to join from Spanish champions Atletico Madrid.
The signing is widely expected to signal the start of a spending spree by Newcastle, who became one of the world’s richest football clubs when Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund led a buyout of Mike Ashley in October.
The Magpies are in dire need of a change in fortunes as they lie 19th in the Premier League, one point off the bottom, at the halfway point of the season.
They are also expected to try to sign two centre-backs, a left-back, midfielder and a striker during this month’s transfer window.
Trippier, who moved to Spain from Spurs in 2019, is also set to be reunited with Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, who previously signed him for Burnley in 2012.
After impressing with the Clarets in the Premier League, he joined Spurs in 2015. He became a key player as they established themselves as Champions League regulars, reaching the final in 2019.
Trippier, who has won 35 caps for England, made the last of his 83 appearances for Atletico Madrid on Sunday in a 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano.