Newcastle United’s summer of spending is yet to begin with Eddie Howe extremely keen to press ahead with plans to strengthen his first-team with outfield additions. The Magpies have already secured three fresh faces but are yet to seal any deals for big-name, big-money additions.
Ask the black and white faithful where Newcastle need to strengthen above all else and the vast majority will say an upgrade at right-wing should be priority one. Others may point to the fact Howe’s side are still looking a tad light at the back, while the recent injury setback for Callum Wilson has only increased calls for another central striking option to be pursued.
With those three positions sitting atop of Howe’s transfer wish list, Chronicle Live assesses who could, or really should, be sought to bolster Newcastle before the return of Premier League football next month.
Lloyd Kelly’s arrival means there is no longer a need for a left-sided centre-back to be drafted in – but an unfortunate injury to Fabian Schar early in the season and Newcastle would suddenly be looking very light once again.
Option number one is Odilon Kossounou of Bayer Leverkusen. 23-years-old and available for a supposed £38m, the Ivorian would be a marquee, welcomed addition. Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has already hinted a move this summer may be best for all parties as Xabi Alonso’s side undergo a pre-season revamp.
Kossounou won the domestic double in Germany last season and helped his country lift the Africa Cup of Nations in February. The defender stands at 6″2 and has similar passing abilities to Schar. He ranks in the top one per cent for successful take-ons and ball carries per 90 minutes in Europe’s top five leagues.
Newcastle, along with Crystal Palace, were heavily linked with Torino centre-back Perr Schuurs last summer. A former Netherlands team-mate to Sven Botman at youth level, you can see why.
The 24-year-old suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury early last season but is now preparing to return to full fitness and is subsequently attracting interest from Serie A giants Inter Milan. Schuurs was valued at £30m last summer and that figure is unlikely to have risen in recentmonths.
If Newcastle eventually want a long-term partner for Botman, they could do a lot worse than landing his former Ajax youth co-star.
Jean-Clair Todibo, 24, has already been the subject of major transfer interest this summer. Manchester United have tried their best to do business with Nice, given the INEOS link between both clubs, while West Ham United and Juventus have also been touted as potential suitors.
Todibo was tipped to become an elite centre-back after signing for Barcelona from Toulouse in 2019. He ultimately failed to gain senior minutes and would find his feet elsewhere – at Benfica and Nice – before signing for the latter permanently in 2021.
Nice finished fifth last season with the league’s best defence – conceding just 29 goals in 34 league fixtures. With pace, power and aerial ability, it no surprise to see the centre-back now linked with a big Premier League switch.
Tentatively linked with a move to Newcastle already this summer, Bryan Mbeumo would tick a lot of boxes. A goalscoring wide man, who can also play through the middle, the Cameroon international will have plenty of suitors after expressing a desire to bid farewell to Brentford.
Mbeumo has netted 50 goals and helped himself to a further 42 assists in 200 games for the west London outfit. Would a fee of £50m be enough to tempt Brentford into selling?
“I have spent five years at Brentford, at a club that has allowed me to grow and pass a milestone but yes, I would like to play in the biggest competitions, at the best clubs,” Mbeumo recently admitted in an interview with L’Equipe. “It is tantalising to see some big clubs interested in me. We will see.”
A player yet to be linked with a move to Newcastle but one who, again, ticks a lot of boxes is Fiorentina winger Nico Gonzalez. Unfamiliar with his game? Let former Everton and Liverpool star Don Hutchinson explain.
“Nicolas Gonzalez is a player that can go on to unbelievably high levels,” Hutchinson said earlier this year. “If Bernardo Silva was ever to knock on Pep Guardiola’s door, and think it is time for me to move on, I think he should be seriously looking at Gonzalez.
“He is very similar to Silva. Silva has more consistency in his game, but when you look at talent. He plays off the right-hand side, he is a left-footed player, he is very good in the air.”
Indeed, as a left-footed right-wing option, Gonzalez suits Eddie Howe’s playing style. The two Premier League clubs recently linked with the Argentinian are Chelsea and Liverpool, presenting a potential stumbling block. Similarly to Mbeumo, Gonzalez is valued at around £50m.
German outlet Bild report Borussia Dortmund value former Arsenal academy graduate Donyell Malen at €40m [£35m] this summer. The 25-year-old’s future remains unclear after the arrival of new head coach Nuri Sahin and interest from English clubs.
Malen featured in Dortmund’s 1-0 win at St James’ Park last term and was an unused substitute in the reverse fixture. The forward has been battling it out with the likes of Julian Brandt, Karim Adeyemi and Jadon Sancho for a spot out wide for the German side of late.
Malen’s time at Signal Iduna Park has been up and down, given he actually prefers to play centrally – but previous head coach Edin Terzić often opted to use him on the right. Malen has also been deployed on the left and as a second striker in the past. Amid interest from Liverpool, he would make an intriguing option for the Magpies.
Jonathan David recently emerged as a possible candidate to bolster Howe’s attacking options. The Lille forward notched 26 goals in 47 appearances in all competitions during the 2023-24 campaign.
New sporting director Paul Mitchell has expert knowledge of the French market having spent three years in the same role at AS Monaco and Lille are said to be ready to cash in before the expiry of his contract next year.
“When you have a player like Jonathan David, who runs the way he does, in behind,” French legend Thierry Henry said of David. “His directness. Don’t ask him to come to play or assist because he has none this season.
“If he sees the centre-back dropping, then he will go in behind. But as soon as he sees there is a gap, he will run and he is also pretty strong too and he loves contacts.”
AS Roma have been trying to drum up interest in Tammy Abraham as a full-scale overhaul takes place in the Italian capital. The former Chelsea striker has been linked with Newcastle countless times down the years and if Howe is looking an experienced backup for Isak, who has a track record of finding the net at the top level, Abraham may be a cheap option.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Abraham has been training during Roma’s pre-season camp but wants his future resolved as soon as possible. The club are trying to offload the 30-year-old to decrease their wage bill and free up funds to bring in fresh faces.
Leave a Reply