Newcastle's right-winger search - Domestic options and the Serie A star worth a look
Quips aside, Newcastle will need to step up their business if they want players in before the preseason trip to Japan, which begins with a match against Urawa Red Diamonds on 31st July.
With noted recruitment specialist Paul Mitchell installed as Sporting Director, all indications point to United spending this window. Following on from an article looking at the linked right-sided forwards/wingers based abroad, let’s have a look at the linked players based domestically.
Jarrod Bowen is a player who has been linked with move to Tyneside as recently as 9th July by the Northern Echo and other outlets. The 27-year-old has been productive in his time at West Ham, scoring 60 goals in 202 appearances, with 34 of those coming since 21-22, highlighting his improved efficiency. Despite running slightly hot, scoring his 16 goals last season from just 11.6 xG, Bowen has developed into an excellent Premier League player since his £22million move from Hull City.
However, the reported £100million fee is a complete non-starter. Bowen is also said to be incredibly settled in London with a growing young family. I can't see us paying mega money for a player of his age and I'm not sure he's in any rush to leave.
Leeds’s owners are about to ignite a fire sale after failing to gain promotion last season and another name consistently linked with a move to the club is the Dutch U21 international Crysencio Summerville. On the club’s radar for around 12 months now, Summerville notched 19 goals in the Championship last season: mostly from the left-wing, making just four of his 43 appearances from the right side.
A relatively cheaper option at £25million, he could be seen as a budget squad option if a marquee signing isn’t over-the-line by September. Technically proficient, excellent in a high-pressing system, and a goal scorer, Summerville ticks a lot of boxes, except for ‘official’ playing position. However, if this is meant to be our marquee signing on the right, I'd be shocked.
With the informal PSR transfer window closed, CEO Darren Eales has revealed in a recent interview that the club will be able to spend. A duo from another PSR affected club, Nottingham Forest, have been linked with moves up north, namely Anthony Elanga and Morgan Gibbs-White.
Elanga was heavily linked as part of the PSR deadline nonsense and the 17-times capped Swedish international enjoyed his best season to date last time out bagging five goals and nine assists in 25 starts (including 11 from the bench.) Equally comfortable on both sides, Elanga compares statistically well with Anthony Gordon – a man who enjoyed a terrific breakout season, as we all know.
A move for Gibbs-White has been mooted for the last six months, with the Nottingham Post reporting in January that Newcastle had seriously scouted the 24-year-old whilst trying to offload Miguel Almiron. The Englishman created 149 chances for his teammates last year, leading to ten assists. He also chipped in with five goals. A prodigious playmaker who can tackle and press, the downside to Gibbs-White is that he is not a natural winger, with just seven starts made on the right-wing last season. Moreover, with Forest wanting to make a hefty profit on the £42.5million they paid Wolves for him, this move seems like another dud despite the substantial links.
Grouping these last three domestic links together, various sources have credited Newcastle with an interest in Noni Madueke, Bryan Mbeumo, and Pedro Neto.
Madueke, the 22-year-old former PSV man played just 1053 minutes for Chelsea last year, running extremely hot, scoring five goals from just 2.5 xG. Having made his debut as a 17-year-old he went on to play 76 times, scoring 16 goals for PSV at an average of one-in-five games. Hardly prolific a change of scenery could benefit the talented youngster. But at £40million plus – there are better places that sum of money could be spent.
Mbeumo was linked by L'Equipe in June with Liverpool also said to be keen. The Cameroonian cost Brentford a club record £5.8million when they signed him in 2019, and he has gone on to hit 50 goals in 200 appearances for the club. Importantly, 18 of those have come in the last two years as the 24-year-old former Troyes man played predominately on the right-wing and up front during Ivan Toney’s eight-month ban. Mbeumo has two years remaining on his contract and Brentford are said to want north of £50million for the player.
Pedro Neto is undoubtedly a skilled footballer; the Portuguese played at this summer’s Euros. Valued by Wolves at over £60million – the asking price alone should rule out a move but a frankly, horrendous injury record the main reason to avoid this transfer. Neto has missed 102 games since signing for the Old Gold in a €17.9million move in Aug 2019. His stats are also poor with just 11 goals and seven assists in that time.
The outstanding candidate from the seven discussed is Morgan Gibbs-White with Bryan Mbeumo a close second, although striking deals for either player will be incredibly difficult with sky-high asking prices and their current clubs under no pressure or having no desire to sell.
An interesting player who hasn’t been linked in the press but would nonetheless be a stellar acquisition is Ademola Lookman; a former England youth international who has plenty of Premier League experience before shining abroad.
Bagging 16 goals and providing eight assists in all competitions for Atalanta, including a memorable hattrick in the Europa League final, the 26-year-old former Charlton young academy product had a standout season last year.
The Nigerian international receives 11.1 passes in dangerous positions per game and converts those into 4.5 shot-creating actions per game, he also averages 6.3 touches in the opposition box per 90 mins. His versatility would see him fill many roles in the Newcastle side and is a trait Eddie Howe loves in his players.
Al-Ittihad were credited with an interest earlier in the summer at the bargain price of £35million but the link has since gone cold. With his wages said to be a relatively low £45,000 a week and him potentially having a sense of unfinished business in the Premier League after a largely uninspiring spells at Everton and Fulham, Newcastle could offer him the platform to finally fulfil his undoubted potential.
