(Football news) Kieran Trippier will become Newcastle’s first signing since the Saudi led consortium took over the club after the Tyneside club reached an agreement with Atletico Madrid for the England international. The Spanish club wanted the 31 year old to stay but the right back had expressed his desire to return to England.

The current Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has previously worked with Trippier at Burnley, signing the right back from Manchester City in 2012 after an impressive loan spell. With Newcastle currently 19th in the Premier League table, just one point above Norwich City and in a very real relegation battle, the owners are currently looking to recruit at least three more players in order to turn their season around and remain in the Premier League next year. 

Trippier missed Atletico’s training session on Tuesday morning which the club claimed is due to fatigue after playing the full 90 minutes in a 2-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano in the La Liga on Sunday. The Spanish club are looking for potential replacements for the 31 year old and are currently in the market for a fullback who can also operate in the center of defense. After the match on Sunday, coach Diego Simeone described Trippier as an “extraordinary” player and insisted that he “wants him to stay” but said that “nowadays you can’t hold someone prisoner.”

Having signed for Atletico Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in July 2019, Trippier has made 68 LaLiga appearances for the club, helping them win the La Liga title last year for the first time since 2014. The right back is expected to travel to Tyneside for a medical tomorrow as the club looks to set sights on signing two centre backs, a midfielder, a striker and a left back to their squad. 

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