Sources: Eddie Howe tells Dan Ashworth the two players he most wants at Newcastle United next season

Eddie Howe has told Newcastle United chiefs his top two summer targets are James Maddison and Kieran Tierney, sources have told Football Insider.

The Premier League duo head the United shopping list as the club’s Saudi owners prepare to back Eddie Howe again in the summer window.

Howe has identified Leicester City playmaker Maddison and Arsenal left-back Tierney as players who can slot straight into his starting XI and improve it.

He has presented the two to club sporting director Dan Ashworth and requested he pull out all the stops to get both deals done in the coming months.

Football Insider first revealed Newcastle’s interest in Tierney on 19 February after they identified left-back as a position they want to improve in the main summer window.

The former Celtic star, who is valued around the £30million mark, is the second choice at league leaders Arsenal behind 2022 signing Aleksandr Zinchenko.

Newcastle’s Saudi-backed owners PiF are keen to build on the momentum of an impressive Premier League campaign by strengthening Eddie Howe’s squad.

There will not be a repeat of the blizzard of activity last year but the plan is to strengthen in key areas that will improve the team in the short and long term.

Leicester priced interested clubs out of a January move for Maddison but talks have stalled over a new contract to replace his existing agreement, which expires in the summer of 2024.

Newcastle failed to land Maddison last summer after tabling offers of over £40m.

They are planning to bid again this summer as they look to convince Maddison that his ambitions can be fulfilled with a big-money move to the north-east.

Leicester are hoping for a bidding war for their prize asset, who is also interesting Liverpool and Tottenham Hotpsur.