The summer transfer window is quickly approaching. It feels like it is going to be a big window for Newcastle United, as we try to build a squad deep enough to deal with playing three matches in a week. That was our biggest challenge this season.
Due to financial constraints that remain, it is important that the club trade smartly this summer. That includes looking at the free agents that will be available. Lloyd Kelly and Tosin Adarabioyo are known to be targets, so we have left them off the list below. However, we do look at five other players with expiring contracts that could be well worth looking at for Eddie Howe.
Mario Hermoso – Atletico Madrid
One of the highest profile free agents on the market this summer will be Mario Hermoso. He has been a regular starter for Atletico Madrid in La Liga and the Champions League. It is rare to be able to pick up a player with his ability and experience on a free at his age. The Spaniard is 28-years-old and he is arguably at his peak.
Aston Villa and Barcelona have both been linked. Both moves would make sense. Unai Emery will have a handle on the Spanish market and they will probably be able to offer Champions League football. Meanwhile, Los Cules are still facing financial issues and a free transfer will appeal to Xavi.
Eddie Howe will be in the market for at least one centre back. Arguably, we will need two. Hermoso could be a shrewd signing given our own financial constraints. However, he will be asking for big wages, which could rule us out.
As a player, Hermoso is versatile and can play centre back in a back four or back three and as a left back. There are similarities with Fabian Schar in his ball-playing abilities. The Spaniard likes to drive forward with the ball and launch attacks. Initially at Atletico, he was error prone, but working under Diego Simeone has helped shave the rough edges of his game.
Although an unlikely signing, he is one we should consider given our lack of defensive options.
Juan Miranda – Real Betis
Another La Liga defender who is due to leave his current club this summer is Juan Miranda. The left-back has been linked with us in the last 12 months, which suggests we could be interested in a move on a free. At 24, he would be a real smart pick up on a free, which room for further development. It would give us another option at left back and open up the chance to sell Matt Targett this summer.
At the turn of the year, he was heavily linked with a move to AC Milan and it was thought that an agreement was close. Although a move to Italy is still possible, no move has been announced for the Spaniard, which means he could still be attainable for us. Crystal Palace and West Ham United have also been credited with an interest.
Miranda is a tall full-back, who is able to contribute in both halves of the pitch. He would be a good fit under Eddie Howe, who places high importance on physical attributes. His experience in the Bundesliga with Schalke means that he should be able to transition quickly to the Premier League.
Another one that feels more likely to move elsewhere, but he would be a good signing for us should we look at him again.
Reuell Walters – Arsenal
It is rare to be able to sign a young player who has been capped at youth level by England and is highly rated by one of the top six clubs. However, Reuell Walters is still to sign a new contract with Arsenal and he could be an opportunistic signing for an upwardly mobile club such as ourselves.
Walters is still at an early phase of his development, which means he could still be moulded into the type of player that Howe is looking for. He has predominantly been used as a right back in Arsenal’s youth teams, but he has the physical attributes to develop into a centre back. Although he hasn’t made his debut for the first team yet, he has been around the squad for a while and is clearly highly rated by Mikel Arteta.
This summer, he may opt to move for more first team opportunities. There could be better opportunities than Newcastle, both home and abroad, but for us, it is worth asking the question. Walters would add a homegrown option to the squad, which could be very useful in UEFA competitions. There would be chances for a player like him next season.
At the age of 19, there is huge opportunity for growth and even if he didn’t develop into a player good enough for us, there would certainly be a chance to make a profit in the future. Due to his age, Walters wouldn’t be a free transfer, as there would be a tribunal fee to pay, but it would still be a cheap deal.
Amario Cozier-Duberry – Arsenal
Another youth player with an expiring contract at Arsenal is Amario Cozier-Duberry. He would perhaps be the pick of the five players I list here, due to the potential he has. The winger has already been linked with us by the Evening Standard earlier this year, along with several other clubs. Hopefully our interest does end up in something substantial.
Cozier-Duberry has been likened to Bukayo Saka by coaches at Arsenal, while he has regularly trained with the first team. That underlines how highly he is thought of at the club, but first team football will be difficult to get. There is a growing trend of highly rated young players leaving top six academies and we know the club have invested a lot in our own youth recruitment structure. Alfie Harrison was an example of that and Cozier-Duberry would represent a similar addition.
The attacker has nine goals and five assists across 17 matches in Premier League 2. This is a very good return and speaks to the raw talent he possesses. If we do get European football next season, we will need a deeper squad to rotate during the Thursday-Sunday grind. A few young additions would benefit us and securing Cozier-Duberry on his next contract would be very smart.
Dortmund have also been heavily linked and that is a more established development route for English talents, but we need to establish our own.
Kelechi Iheanacho – Leicester City
This will perhaps be the most controversial selection on the list. Kelechi Iheanacho is known entity in this country. Despite showing plenty of promise at Manchester City, he has never been able to secure the starting role at Leicester City.
Iheanacho still has plenty of years left and he doesn’t have many miles on the clock for a 27-year-old. He has never made more than 16 league starts in the season, but his goal record has been okay. Since his debut at Manchester City, he has averaged a goal every 170.1 minutes in league football.
The presence of Jamie Vardy has also made it near impossible for any other striker to play regularly for Leicester. Iheanacho doesn’t stand out with his technical quality, but he does profile very well statistically and he always has done. He works hard, despite having a small weakness aerially and he can drop deep to link the play, while creating chances for others.
It is unlikely that we will be looking at Iheanacho to be our only striker signing this summer. The club will have bigger targets, but we could do a lot worse than signing him. If the club wants more depth up front, he would be an excellent third choice for a club in European competition.
Iheanacho is actually a really good shout, on a free with lowish wages as cover we won’t get much better.
Sean(Quote)