File photo dated 22/02/2009 of A General view of St James Park, home of Newcastle United in Newcastle.
With an exciting transfer, the Magpies might advance to the next phase of their rebuild, and securing the contracts of their important players.
Newcastle United’s work on strengthening their squad ahead of a vital Premier League campaign has begun after they successfully navigated past the June 30 deadline for profit and sustainability standards while maintaining financial stability.
In order to avoid violating their PSR compliance, the Magpies had to make sure they sold enough players. They managed to raise the required funds by selling Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest and Yankuba Minteh to Brighton & Hove Albion. Additionally, a compensation agreement was reached with Manchester United for the departure of sporting director Dan Ashworth.
Now, at the start of a new profit and sustainability cycle, Newcastle can look towards the next steps of their rebuild as they look to qualify for European football at the end of the season.
Some players may still be available for sale this summer as Newcastle looks to assemble a competitive team capable of competing at the top of the Premier League standings.
In light of all of that, Chronicle Live has examined the ideal situation that Newcastle hopes to accomplish before the summer transfer deadline of August 30.
Miguel Almiron makes way for Jarrod Bowen
Newcastle are in the market for a new right-winger and have already sold teenage star, Minteh, to Brighton. With both Miguel Almiron and Jacob Murphy still on the club’s books, though, United will need to sell one of them on to keep the squad balanced and their players happy.
With no public interest in Murphy, Almiron is the more sellable asset having almost joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Shabab in January. The 30-year-old still has two years remaining on his deal at St James’ Park but there is believed to have been talks held between the Magpies and an unnamed Saudi club this summer over a potential transfer.
Almiron has been a very good servant since joining from Atlanta United in January 2019, but his departure will be accepted by supporters if a genuine upgrade is signed.
And should Jarrod Bowen of West Ham United prove to be that real upgrade, the Magpies would be adding an England international winger to their roster along with a player of proven Premier League quality.
Given that he has a contract in East London that runs through 2030, the 27-year-old wouldn’t come cheap, and Newcastle would have to pay about three times as much as Mike Ashley wasn’t willing to pay to sign him from Hull City in January 2020.
In recruitment meetings, Bowen’s name has come up, and his track record of contributing over 20 goals in all competitions over the last three seasons indicates that, at any price West Ham charges, he is a move worth investigating.
Anthony Gordon stays amid Liverpool interest
The most surprising action Newcastle looked into last week to allay their concerns about PSR was the potential sale of Anthony Gordon to Liverpool.
The Reds received an offer for Newcastle’s Player of the Season from the previous campaign, who is presently playing for England at EURO 2024, that would have resulted in the departure of Liverpool’s youthful defender Jarell Quansah.
Liverpool rejected the terms of that offer, but they haven’t given up on the Magpies winger, whose mind has reportedly been changed because the Reds are the team he grew up idolizing.
But Newcastle simply cannot afford to lose a player of Gordon’s quality and if they are serious about their ambitions to establish themselves as a team who consistently compete at the top end of the Premier League they must build their team around him, rather than allowing him to leave.
Chelsea’s Alexander Isak interest rebuffed
And if Newcastle are building their team around Gordon, they need to build it around Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak, too. Bruno’s £100million release clause ended last week which eased fears Newcastle could lose him this summer.
However, rumors of Chelsea’s interest in Alexander Isak are still floating around, and this summer, the Magpies will need to reject any more approaches for the Swedish international.
Chelsea has asked about his availability, and according to reports, Newcastle won’t consider offers that fall below £115 million. Isak, who scored 25 goals in all competitions last season, should not be sold this summer, though, as the Magpies have now resolved their PSR issues.
Callum Wilson dilemma
Newcastle could sell Wilson this summer, amid interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia, as well as West Ham United.
The 32-year-old’s struggles with injury have been well documented and as he moves towards the twilight years of his career, now may be the right time for Newcastle to cash in.
The problem with that, though, is that strikers with Wilson’s proven Premier League goalscoring record do not grow on trees and signing someone of that ilk does not come cheap.
If Newcastle can do that, or at the very least sign a younger forward with obvious potential, then a sale should be sanctioned. If they can’t, it may be a risk to move on the England international forward.
Centre-half search comes to a successful end
Newcastle have already secured the signing of left-sided centre-half Lloyd Kelly but they are still in the market for another central defender amid Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman’s injury worries.
Both players have suffered cruciate knee ligament injuries and are expected to miss a significant chunk of the opening months of the season.
Dan Burn and Emil Krafth can be used as central defenders but Howe has preferred to use both of those players a full-backs. That means Fabian Schar and Kelly are Newcastle’s only recognised central defenders and they will need a quality reinforcement in place ahead of August 17’s Premier League opener at home to Southampton.
Newcastle failed in their attempts to sign Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer and have been linked with Wolves’ Max Kilman, Bologna star Riccardo Calafiori, AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori and Liverpool’s Quansah but have made no real progress in their search so far.
Dubravka leaves amid goalkeeper reshuffle
Newcastle’s goalkeeper situation now looks sorted and there is no space in there for Martin Dubravka. Having been linked with Valencia star Giorgi Mamardashvili and Burnley’s England under-21 international goalkeeper James Trafford, Newcastle’s actual signings have been somewhat understated.
Goalkeeper Nick Pope will continue to be United’s top choice, although Odysseas Vlachodimos, a recent addition from Nottingham Forest, will pose a threat.
Mark Gillespie will remain with the team for another season as the fourth choice goalkeeper, while seasoned stopper John Ruddy has signed as the third choice.
It indicates that Dubravka, the backup goalie from the previous campaign, is free to sign with another organization in pursuit of a first-team position. With one year left on his contract at St James’ Park, the Slovakian international has been linked to Celtic as well as teams in Germany and Saudi Arabia.
