Newcastle legend Alan Shearer has backed his former club to finish in the top four this season.

The Magpies struggled somewhat, having ended last campaign in 7th place on 60 points, but Shearer believes they can rebound to qualify for the Champions League, having also finished fourth in 2023.

It is, of course, not a surprise that Shearer is being optimistic about the team’s chances. He always backs Eddie Howe’s side to do well despite how competitive it is at the top of the Premier League table.

The squad hasn’t really been strengthened over the summer, so that may suggest 4th place would be a tough ask, but they have managed to keep hold of some key players.

Retaining the services of Isak and Guimaraes is a big boost for Newcastle

In order to stay within the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules, there was a danger that the Magpies would have to offload some of their key assets.

Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes (in particular) were linked with moves away from St James’ Park. The latter had a £100m release clause in his contract but no team paid the requisite fee before it expired in June, much to the relief of supporters.

Reports have also linked Isak with both Arsenal and Chelsea over the last couple of months but no formal bids were lodged for the Swedish international.

Shearer has predicted the final Premier League table

The Match of the Day pundit has also made predictions for where every team will finish this season. He expects Arsenal to win the league, with Manchester City, Liverpool and the Magpies making up the top four.

Manchester United, Tottenham, Aston Villa, West Ham, Chelsea and Fulham are in his top half. Brighton, Bournemouth, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Everton take positions 11th to 17th respectively, while he thinks the three newly promoted teams: Ipswich Town, Southampton and Leicester City will all go straight back down.

Find out who is in Newcastle United’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here