One of the profiles that we sorely lack in our squad is a proper holding midfielder. We don’t actually use one in our system at the moment, but it’s an option worth having to control games better and to defend counter attacks more effectively.
I wrote about it briefly in a recent thread on Twitter. We don’t need to complete abandon our current system with Bruno as the deepest midfielder, but having that profile would give us more tactical flexibility and would allow us to evolve as a team.
Hence, I don’t think we need to splash a lot of money on that position, and so either a short-term stop gap or a cheaper and younger player who’d be happy to be in-and-out of the side works best for us I think.
Kalvin Phillips has been heavily linked and looks likely to sign. He’s a good fit – he’s comfortable as a no. 6, can keep things ticking, and can break up play. I’m not convinced on his physical levels, but time will tell if he does end up here.
Here I’ll focus more on younger and cheaper (less than £25m) options who we can gradually integrate into the side when the time is right, and then eventually use as a first-team regular. I went for three different price points.
1. Pierre Ekwah (Sunderland)
It’s a rogue shout, but I love what I’ve seen of Ekwah (Tyne and Wear derby error aside). He stood out to me in the playoffs last season, and has continued performing well this season. Very brave with the ball, and his gangly physique makes him an effective ball-winner.
2. Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge)
In my eyes, he’s a very good fit for what Newcastle are missing. Onyedika is a reliable tackler and dueller, and is comfortable at defending transitions as a lone pivot. With the ball, he’s secure, and possesses generally sound technical fundamentals.
3. Lucas Gourna-Douath (RB Salzburg)
He has that incredibly valuable mix of genuine defensive quality while also being able to progress the ball from deep. A metronomic ball winner, a physical specimen, and a calm presence in possession. He’ll end up at a top club for sure.
Other options:
- Joris Chotard (Montpellier) – Proper ball winner, maybe a little limited with the ball.
- Pablo Maia (Sao Paolo) – Might be too expensive, but he’s one of the best young no. 6s on the market.
- Federico Redondo (Argentinos Juniors) – Probably ends up in Spain, but he’s extremely talented.
January is a notoriously difficult window to operate in, but Newcastle will have to get some business done. We need to keep adding quality to this squad, as well as to patch up the side ahead of an important second half of the season.
Whether the owners go big this month remains to be seen. That currently seems unlikely, but I’m sure we’ll see at least two incomings. We might have to change strategy from recent windows to find some short-term deals, or some cheaper signings. It’ll be an interesting window for sure.
