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What do they want?
For all the vast riches, and for all those nonsense tabloid “potential XIs” that included Kylian Mbappe or Lionel Messi, this is not going to be a summer in which Newcastle splurge wildly. There are Financial Fair Play rules to consider after Eddie Howe spent £90m in January. The manager himself says that he prefers evolution to revolution.
Instead, Newcastle are likely to concentrate their recruitment in four areas. The constant links to goalkeepers, including Kepa Arrizabalaga and Nick Pope, suggests that Howe is not entirely sold on Martin Dubravka or Karl Darlow. It isn’t an obvious weakness in the squad, but Howe may prefer a goalkeeper that has better distribution than his current pair.
Another centre-back is clearly a priority, given the public interest in Sven Botman and Diego Carlos. Newcastle did sign Dan Burn in January and extended Fabian Schar’s contract, but amid rumours that captain Jamaal Lascelles might be available for transfer Howe would like another body and they may well go back in for Botman.
The left-back issue has already been solved very simply, Newcastle paying Aston Villa a further £12m to make Matt Targett’s loan permanent. Targett is more workmanlike full-back than attacking overlapper, but when you have Allan Saint-Maximin on the left wing that’s not a huge problem.
And Howe will also buy a new striker. Chris Wood’s January move made sense given that it solved a need when Callum Wilson was injured and weakened Burnley significantly, but he scored once from open play for Newcastle last season and is now backup to Wilson. Hugo Ekitike, who Newcastle pursued in January, is an option and fits the desire to reduce the average age of the first-team squad. He would cost around £30m.
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Finally, the slight curveball is in midfield. Lucas Paqueta’s name has been continually linked with Newcastle (and he’s best friends with Bruno Guimaraes) and could be the marquee signing of Howe’s first summer in charge. But with an asking price of around £55m and priorities elsewhere, would Newcastle not be better served redistributing those funds and going back in for Paqueta next summer?
Who might leave?
Logic dictates that Newcastle will likely look to sell a player in each of the positions that they recruit in, with Dwight Gayle and Isaac Hayden already in discussions with other clubs or a deal already done. One of Darlow, Dubravka and Freddy Woodman will leave, with Woodman’s loan move to Bournemouth potentially turned into a permanent one.
Lascelles may be the captain, but there were links to former club Nottingham Forest and there are plenty of Newcastle supporters who would be happy for a permanent transfer to be agreed if they sign Botman. Even if Newcastle sign a striker, they are unlikely to let either of Wood or Wilson go, particularly given Wilson’s injury history.
On the fringes of the squad, there may be some movement (although Howe will not want to reduce numbers too drastically). Matt Ritchie has entered the final year of his contract and so the club would consider a sale. Paul Dummett only played three league games last season and Targett has been signed permanently, creating an opportunity there. Sean Longstaff is probably worth keeping around, but his brother was on loan at Mansfield in League Two last season and will probably move to the EFL on loan again.
What has been said?
“I’m open-minded. It’s the right player for the position. You do have to have an eye on the future. I don’t think you can be blind to the fact that if you have a squad that’s at the wrong age then you can give yourself problems one, two, three years down the line. We don’t want to put ourselves in that position.
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Potential arrivals
- Hugo Ekitike
- Sven Botman
- Lucas Paqueta
- Kepa Arrizabalaga
- Nathan Ake
- William Saliba
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin
- Renan Lodi
Completed in/outs
- Ins: Matt Targett (£12m)
- Outs: Isaac Hayden (loan)
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