Newcastle’s stock is on the rise. While the defeat to United in the Carabao Cup final was a tough one to take, it is a sign of just how far this side has come under Eddie Howe’s stewardship. The Magpies have clawed their way out of the domestic doldrums as Geordies can once again indulge in the hope and promise of lifting silverware sooner rather than later.
This side is only just starting its journey back to the top of English football and the turnaround has been truly remarkable to watch unfold. No more than 12 months ago this was a side billed as relegation candidates who have now elevated themselves to Champions League contenders capable of competing with the best in the country on their day. However, this squad will need some new names to bolster its ranks if its to reach their own lofty expectations and to that end this summer is crucial for Howe and his team. Here’s a look at where Howe can strengthen in the upcoming window.
Defence
The Magpies’ defence has been rock solid this season. Howe’s side boast the strongest backline in the league having only conceded 18 goals this term, seven fewer than title contenders Arsenal and Manchester City. It has been the platform from which the Geordies have propelled themselves into the Champions League spots, and its strength is in large part down to the immaculate transfer strategy of the last two windows.
Nick Pope has been outstanding in goal, Sven Botman and Dan Burn have been excellent, Fabian Schar has drastically improved under Howe’s stewardship, and Kieran Trippier is the glue that keeps it all together having discovered some of his best form since coming back to the English top flight. The only spanner in the works is the lack of squad depth which has been exposed in the last few weeks. Bringing in another centre-back or left-back might be the only thing at this stage that is keeping the Magpies from tightening their grip on a top four finish.
There are plenty of names linked with a potential move to St. James’ Park but perhaps the most prominent is that of Arsenal’s Scotland International Kieran Tierney. The 25-year-old made a real impact when arriving on the Premier League scene from Scottish champions Celtic in 2019. However, he has struggled for game time this season as a result of Oleksandr Zinchenko’s arrival in North London so much so that speculation is intensifying that the Scot might be heading for the door. If Tierney were to depart, he would be a perfect fit for Howe’s project and the prospect of more minutes on the pitch along with European football on good money will be a hard deal to turn down for the left-back. Four of the regular back five were signed under the new regime and it has paid dividends so far, it stands to reason that two more carefully selected signings could push this side to the elite level Howe and the board are looking for.
Midfield
Moving up the pitch, improvements have been made but more are desperately needed. Bruno Guimaraes’ arrival has been a revelation. We knew he was an extraordinary talent already but his inaugural season in England’s top flight has set him aside as one of the elite midfielders in the Premier League.
That is the level of player the Magpies should be signing if they are to retain his services and claim silverware in the future. He should be the midfielder they build around. When you look at the supporting options though, there aren’t many that match his talent. Joelinton has boosted his stock since moving into the midfield and Sean Longstaff is putting in his fair share of shifts too, but it is unlikely Newcastle will lean on those two in order to achieve their lofty top four aspirations. While additions need to be made to accompany Guimaraes, it is unlikely that Howe will abandon his transfer policy and sign anyone who’s available.
One name is always circulating is James Maddison. The Leicester midfielder has been on Howe’s radar for the last two windows and it’s likely the boss will continue his pursuit of the 26-year-old this summer because of his ability to play multiple forward positions. According to different betting sites in the UK, Maddison is 7/2 to sign for Newcastle this summer. His Foxes teammate Youri Tielemans is another name that has been rumoured to be heading to Tyneside before now as a potential option given the fact his contract runs out at the King Power at the end of the season.
Less likely but still plausible options for the Englishman include Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher and Bristol City’s Alex Scott, both of whom have been known to impressed Howe with their recent performances. Any of these would be positive additions to the squad but the pressure will be on this summer to ensure someone comes through the door at St James’ Park who can help plug the gap in that midfield.
Forwards
The defence and midfield need some patch work to fix some problems but it is the attack where the majority of improvements are required. Miguel Almiron is in the form of his life, but even with his goal contributions Newcastle still trail in scoring charts; the ninth best scorers in the league with 37, significantly lagging behind their contenders for European places. Allan Saint-Maximan is excellent on the ball and darts past defenders for fun but his end product is severely lacking and while Callum Wilson helped the Magpies beat the drop last year, he has not looked half the player he was since coming back from injury.
The additions of Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon in recent windows hasn’t done much to improve the situation in front of goal either. If this team is going to compete long-term they need to be ruthless up front. Howe has got the best out of these players since his arrival but when it comes to securing European football and competing for titles, they will likely need to be moved along. Geordies will be dreaming of bringing the likes of Barcelona’s Raphina or Napoli’s Georgian wonderboy Khvicha Kvaratskhelia up north but chances are signings like that will come a few windows own the line.
More likely signings will be Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams who was linked with a move earlier in January or Nottingham Forest’s Brennan Johnson, both of whom would add some much-needed dynamism to an aging forward lineup. This is the most important area for Newcastle in this summer’s window; how well they do will likely determine the long -term success of the club in the next few seasons.
Nico and Brennan are downgrades on Gordon and maxi and Issak has just scored a handfull.., you obviously don’t watch football a lot?
Mike(Quote)