The transfer window is finally open, and teams will now be able to bring players in over the next couple of months. Newcastle United will be looking to do more business than most during this period, but with doubts still surrounding the ownership of the club, there have been fears that the Toon may not get the targets that they desire.
The Toon struggled in the attacking third last season, which means players that can make the difference around the opposition’s area may be high on the list of players that Steve Bruce will want to bring in. But, which positions need serious attention during this transfer window?
Centre Forward
There is no doubting that the one position that the Toon seriously need to address is the number nine. Solomon Rondon was the player that the fans wanted to see brought in before the 2019-20 before the Venezuelan instead opted for a move to China. The club instead moved for Joelinton, but it’s fair to say that the signing has worked to this point.
The Brazilian scored just two Premier League goals last season. Dwight Gayle also found the net twice, and those tallies aren’t good enough for a team that are looking to kick on next season. The Toon will need a striker that will score at least ten goals a season, and fans are already looking enviously at Callum Wilson and Josh King in terms of players that could be brought in.
Right Midfielder
Allan Saint-Maximum has been an excellent addition for the Toon, but the club still needs another creative player to be brought in. The club only made 44 big chances last season and averaged a 22% cross accuracy. Bruce will be keen to bring in another creative player, and the standout choice would be David Brooks.
The Bournemouth man has played in the Premier League for the last two seasons, and it could be argued that the Cherries fate may have been different had the Welshman not been injured for large chunks of the season. Brooks was an essential part of the Bournemouth side in 2018-19, as he played in 30 games in the Premier League. He scored seven goals and made five assists in that debut season, and the Toon would certainly benefit from that kind of creativity in their team. Newcastle could still face competition from West Ham United for his signature, which will mean that they will have to move fast. The Toon are among the favourites in the betting with some of the leading sportsbooks according to Nostrabet.
Left-Back
Newcastle will also be looking to bring in a new left-back over the summer months as it seems increasingly unlikely that they will sign Danny Rose on a permanent deal. Rose was a good signing made by the Toon in the winter, as he went on to play eleven Premier League games for the club. Full-backs are such an essential part of the modern game, and that means Bruce may look to dip into the market for a natural left-back that can offer quality at both ends of the field. One of the players that has been linked with the club is Marcos Alonso from Chelsea, but that deal would likely hinge on whether the Blues bring in Ben Chilwell from Leicester City. It would also be a little unlikely given Alonso’s spell with Sunderland. However, it will still be a position that Bruce will be looking to address.
With the sort of prices being bandied about for the likes of Brooks we’ve absolutely no chance of landing him. We’re not in the market for expensive players under the current regime and will have to rely on our scouting team to find us a bargain that might enhance the squad. Free transfers and out of contract players will not enhance the squad, merely add more average players to and average squad that only contains a few genuine top class premiership players. I really worry about what we can attract and what we’ll get.
Uncle Jeff(Quote)