Newcastle keen to sign Luke Shaw from Man United

Shaw is expected to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season after his relationship with Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho suffered another breakdown at the weekend, and Newcastle will attempt to fight off competition from a number of their Premier League rivals in order to sign the 22-year-old.

Magpies manager Rafael Benitez discussed Shaw’s position with Manchester United officials prior to the opening of the January transfer window, but was told it would take at least £20m to prise the left-back from his current employers.

Further discussions took place later in the window, with Benitez attempting to set up a loan deal to the end of the season, but the Manchester United hierarchy opted to keep Shaw at Old Trafford for the second half of the campaign.

Mourinho restored him to the first team despite having criticised his attitude and fitness levels earlier in the season, but was extremely critical of Shaw’s performance in the first half of last weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final win over Brighton.

Shaw was withdrawn at half-time, with Mourinho saying: “Luke, in the first half, every time they came in his corridor, the cross came in and a dangerous situation was coming. I was not happy with his performance.”

Shaw is understood to have been deeply unhappy at such a public rebuke, and it is hard to imagine the former Southampton trainee playing much of a role in the final two months of the season.

If that is the case, he will almost certainly move on in the summer, and Manchester United could find themselves having to reduce their £20m asking price given the deterioration of Shaw’s relationship with his manager.

Benitez remains desperate to sign a new left-back as Paul Dummett remains his only experienced option in the position. Chancel Mbemba is completely out of favour, while Massadio Haidara is not expected to remain on Newcastle’s books beyond the end of the current campaign.

Dummett has done well since returning from injury at the end of last year, but Benitez regards the defender as a future centre-half rather than someone who has to stay at left-back. Ideally, the Newcastle manager would also like the option of playing with five at the back, and Shaw is more naturally suited to a wing-back role than Dummett.

Wages could be an issue, with Shaw’s current deal at Manchester United understood to fall outside Newcastle’s price bracket. However, there could be movement on that front, with Mike Ashley expected to hold a review of the club’s transfer policy if he remains in charge. If Ashley was to be bought out, Benitez’s spending power could increase significantly.

The Newcastle boss is currently overseeing the scouting of more than 100 potential targets, and is keen to sign both Martin Dubravka and Kenedy on a permanent basis this summer. There is an automatic clause in place enabling the Magpies to sign the former at the end of his loan deal from Sparta Prague.

Meanwhile, Newcastle have been charged by the Football Association after their Under-18s team wore shirts bearing the logo of a betting company. The FA’s regulations do not allow junior sides to use their kit to advertise gambling organisations.

Newcastle are sponsored by Fun88, an online gaming company based in Asia who signed a three-year deal reportedly worth more than £24m when they became the club's headline shirt sponsor last summer.

While the Magpies can have the Fun88 logo emblazoned on their shirts for first-team and reserve matches, it should not be visible when their Under-18 team plays. Newcastle have until 6pm next Tuesday to respond to the FA’s charge.

An FA statement said: "Newcastle United have been charged for their Under-18s team wearing football shirts bearing the logo of a betting company, in breach of the FA's kit and advertising regulations. The club have until 6pm on 27 March 2018 to respond to the charge.”