Newcastle United evening headlines: Alan Shearer's Joelinton verdict amid Miguel Almiron's future

A look at your Newcastle United evening headlines on Sunday, April 10.

Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has expressed his delight at Joelinton's transformation and believes both the record signing and Eddie Howe deserve credit for his revival. The former number nine struggled in his first two seasons at St James' Park, but has become one of the first names on the teamsheet under the current head coach.

Joelinton endured a nightmare debut campaign in black-and-white following his arrival from Hoffenheim in the summer of 2019, with the Brazilian scoring just four times in all competitions. The signing of Callum Wilson then meant the 25-year-old was unable to nail down a regular starting position.

Howe immediately identified Joelinton as an important player in his long-term rebuild, although the former Bournemouth boss admits he did not foresee the transformation into a deep-lying midfielder. Shearer regularly defended the record signing from 'unfair' criticism in the past, and believes his application through these testing times helped forge his bond with the Toon Army.

Newcastle United should move to sign Matt Targett on a permanent basis following a successful loan spell so far, according to Warren Barton. The former Magpies skipper also believes Eddie Howe needs to prioritise deals for a central midfielder and a forward in the summer.

The immediate priority for Newcastle remains preserving their top-flight status, with the head coach adamant the club remains in a relegation battle. The Magpies still have trips to relegation rivals Burnley and Norwich City to come, as well as testing clashes against title-chasers Liverpool and Manchester City.

However, following a January spend in excess of £90m, speculation has