Newcastle United’s meteoric rise reached another milestone with their 2-1 victory over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley, securing their first major trophy in 70 years. Eddie Howe’s side has undergone a dramatic transformation since their takeover by investors linked to the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, turning from relegation candidates into one of the Premier League’s most exciting teams. With Champions League qualification now a realistic prospect for the second time in three seasons, Newcastle are setting their sights even higher as they look to reinforce their squad this summer.
Their next challenge will be keeping hold of their star players while continuing to strengthen. Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimarães have both been linked with moves away, while Anthony Gordon has reportedly attracted interest from Liverpool. However, rather than simply focusing on retaining their best players, Newcastle appear to be planning an ambitious raid on Liverpool themselves, with Harvey Elliott emerging as a major target.