(Credit: Hasan Karim - Breaking Media, Coventry City)

Oliver Walton

Thu 7 August 2025 17:54, UK

Newcastle appear to be in pole position to sign Coventry midfielder Jack Rudoni after Southampton saw an approach to sign him knocked back by the Sky Blues.

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The Magpies’ summer window has been a struggle for all concerned, with a number of targets missed out on and star striker Alexander Isak wanting a move away from St James’ Park.

Eddie Howe has made just one major permanent signing so far, with Anthony Elanga arriving from Nottingham Forest, but that could be about to change following new developments around Rudoni.

The 24-year-old proved himself as one of the best players in the Championship last term, with 10 goals and 12 assists in 45 matches for Coventry as they just missed out on a place in the play-off final.

(Credit Imago)

Newcastle were mooted with an interest in Rudoni following the Sky Blues’ heartbreak against eventual play-off winners Sunderland, and they now look to be front-runners for his signature as talk grows around his potential exit from the CBS Arena this summer.

The Sun (7 August) have reported that recently-relegated Southampton have had a “hopeful” bid for Rudoni rejected by their new second-tier rivals, with the Saints’ failed offer believed to be “well below” Coventry’s valuation of their key man.

Their report states that it is “unclear” whether Saints will now return with a bigger offer, while Sky Blues boss Frank Lampard is reluctant to sanction a sale.

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According to The i (4 August), Newcastle have recently carried out “further checks” on Rudoni as they seek to replace Sean Longstaff following his move to Leeds.

With Howe wanting to add another midfielder to his ranks, news of the Saints bid being rejected by Coventry and the fact they are unsure about making another offer for the 24-year-old will be music to the ears of all at St James’ Park who want to complete a deal for Rudoni.

The fact their first bid was turned down points to Southampton simply being unable to afford the Sky Blues star, and it is not as if Lampard’s side are going to accept a cut-price deal given that he is one of the best players in the league and still has three years left on his contract.

That leaves Newcastle, as seemingly the only other club with concrete interest in his signature, with a great chance of sealing a deal if they wish to pursue one in the coming weeks.

Not only will Rudoni likely wish to make a step up if he does leave the CBS Arena, rather than stay in the Championship, but Newcastle are also boast the possibility of Champions League football and regular Premier League minutes, which the Saints do not, and so the Magpies must now feel even more confident about striking a deal for the 24-year-old soon.

Football finance expert Dan Plumley recently told Football Insider that Newcastle are still in a “tricky spot” regarding finances, as they need to bolster their squad depth but could do with selling players to further ease PSR concerns before that happens.

While Rudoni would not be cheap by any means, he would almost certainly provide a cheaper alternative to other potential midfield targets, especially after Football Insider exclusively revealed that Atletico Madrid will demand £50million to sell Conor Gallagher amid interest from the Magpies.

AppearancesGoalsAssists1261720Rudoni’s Championship career stats

The 24-year-old’s path to success has not been a conventional one, as he came through AFC Wimbledon’s youth ranks after being released by Crystal Palace at 11-years-old, but he is clearly a player who is ready to move up once again and could be a highly valuable rotation option to have in the upcoming campaign.

Whether Newcastle’s interest in his services is set to materialise into a genuine approach currently remains unclear, but they certainly need to bolster their midfield ranks, and signing Rudoni would make sense from both a financial and homegrown quota point of view.

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