Sven Botman will end some Newcastle careers as ruthless Eddie Howe gets added transfer bonus

No one is safe at Newcastle United and Sven Botman's big-money move from Lille is a fresh reminder of that as the Magpies' defence and the dressing room as a whole are shaken up once more.

Newcastle will soon have six senior centre-backs on their books and that does not include the versatile Paul Dummett and Emil Krafth, who can also slot in at the heart of defence. There may be a twist to come but it is hard to see Federico Fernandez playing another competitive game for the club while Ciaran Clark was left of the squad for the second half of last season.

These former internationals have served Newcastle well over the years but if the black-and-whites are to progress, Howe has to be ruthless and effectively replace players who were starters a year ago. That leaky backline Howe inherited was the team's weakness, after all.

However, after a two-window overhaul, Newcastle's defence has now become a real strength following the arrival of goalkeeper Nick Pope and defenders Kieran Trippier, Matt Targett, Botman and Dan Burn. Newcastle still need to bring in more firepower this summer - Callum Wilson was out on his own as the club's top scorer last season despite a lengthy spell on the sidelines - but the Magpies will climb the table by keeping clean sheets, too.

Just who will line up in the heart of the defence against Nottingham Forest on the opening day of the season remains to be seen. Botman will arrive as the club's most expensive centre-back of all-time, of course, but the Dutchman is still young at 22 and has never previously played in the Premier League. Like Bruno Guimaraes, another import from the French league, Botman will naturally need an adjustment period to get used to the pace of the top-flight and what Howe