Newcastle United stay calm in transfer window as agents flock to offer Sven Botman alternatives

Newcastle United chiefs are staying cool when it comes to the summer transfer window despite the Sven Botman saga going into extra time.

And the official message - as co-owner Mehrdad Ghodoussi took to social media - to come from the boardroom this week was: "Patience is a virtue". Although, there is plenty of trust in the new board and fans are simply happy to see the club showing ambition and being active in the transfer window.

Botman has been made an excellent off by the Magpies but continues to mull over his next move with AC Milan still effectively still in the race to sign him. But something will have to give at some stage with Lille wanting a fee for the Dutch centre-back and sufficient time to land a replacement.

At the Newcastle end, they are calmly waiting for the situation to unfold but have their own, well scouted and well researched back-up options in place, and while only Matt Targett has been signed so far on a permanent basis from Aston Villa, that doesn't mean work is going on behind the scenes.

Indeed, while the construction workers are working away at the club's soon-to-be revamped Benton base, Chronicle Live understands that the small portacabin - where the scouts have spent the last few years compiling a list of targets - is still in full operation. United are prepared for every possibility this summer - and have the funds ready to go to make deals happen.

In any case, while deals are being done in June, it is July that is expected to be the key month for Newcastle United this summer. It doesn't mean further transfers won't be done in the remaining days of this month, but the bulk of the work is expected in July.

Ideally, Howe likes to get business done early in order that players are ready on day