- 10 hours ago
Newcastle’s January targets and their likelihood
Jacque Talbot
- Updated: 21 Dec 2022 15:13 GMT
- 5 min read
When Dan Ashworth was appointed as Newcastle’s sporting director, he issued somewhat of a lockdown on transfers news getting out via agents. They had the unhelpful tag of being the ‘world’s richest club - the truth is far more complicated - and consequently, agents and club reps were doing their level best to draw in the club’s interest of their clients and players, to seal a move to St James’ Park and earn that huge wage packet they felt was available.
The Magpies have a tight wage structure. They have been cute, probably having looked over their shoulder at their Premier League rivals spending freely and taking caution: the last thing a club seeking a revolution needs is a number of players taking up a significant portion of the wage bill and not pulling their weight; it’s a price they can’t pay, especially where Financial Fair Play is concerned.
Last season, the hope was to maintain a spot in the Premier League for the following campaign and build from there. They have brought in an influx of new talent, embedding them into the setup organically, while Eddie Howe has firmly injected his own blueprint. With ambitions of a top-eight spot, things have gone almost too well and now they find themselves third.
Now Champions League is hugely viable. It’s a positive dilemma, but a dilemma nonetheless. Sounds out the club are that they won’t be spending big until the summer, but there were talks between Howe and Ashworth in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia earlier this month when the side were on a training camp.
With January around the corner, here we take you through some of the names they have been linked with, and the likelihood of those deals coming to fruition.
The in-form James Maddison had two bids for him made by Newcastle over the summer that were knocked down by Leicester City.
His versatility is of no doubt interest to Howe, the ability to play on the wing, slightly deeper if need be, and as a number ten. The England international, this calendar year, has earned a combined 28 goals and assists for the Foxes in 34 games - a stunning contribution that rivals that of the division's most elite players.
Interestingly, Maddison is a client of CAA Base, the firm that oversaw the moves of Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood to the Magpies last January.
He is quite obviously keen on the switch, and should Newcastle obtain a Champions League spot this season, which their current trajectory suggests, the probability is that they will be going back in for another bid in the summer, with the player’s contract up in 2024.
Probability: 7/10 (but not until the summer)
READ MORE: Joao Felix: Newcastle target Atletico star but he wants Man Utd
Andrey Santos
Newcastle want a young midfielder who can grow, develop and start to replace Jonjo Shelvey in the coming years as a deep-lying playmaker. As we reported in the last window, they had been keeping tabs on Luka Sucic of RB Salzburg, who's a similar profile. They opted not to make the bid, instead beginning talks with Andrey Santos, who plays for Vasco da Gama in his home nation of Brazil.
Dubbed the ‘Brazilian Busquets' the teenager certainly fits the mould, but now Chelsea have come in and it looks as though it will be them who will seal his signing.
Probability: 2/10
Christian Pulisic was linked with a move away from Chelsea in the summer and Newcastle still have him on their radar.
The USA winger is out of contract in 2024 and the lack of game-time and the way things are going means a future at Stamford Bridge in the coming years is unlikely. Newcastle have been keen to bring in a right-winger but the dazzling form of Miguel Almiron has made the hierarchy reassess their options.
Could Pulisic come in to supplement the South American? Absolutely. Would it happen this upcoming window? That’s harder to say.
The American is represented by his family and so much of the noise has been generated by Chelsea and Newcastle. A move in January seems improbable but not beyond the realms of possibility.
Probability: 5/10
As we exclusively revealed earlier this month, Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix is liked by Howe. Sources close to the player state that the Portugal international is hoping to leave his current club as soon as possible and his agent Jorge Mendes is trying his level best to build a relationship with Newcastle.
We hear that the La Liga side would be open to a loan-with-obligation-to-buy move - and that would suit Newcastle, who are wanting to keep tight purse strings this winter window.
But Howe wants to find out a bit more about him, while Felix has his own reservations about a club whose project is very much in its infancy. Furthermore, the likes of Manchester United, PSG, and Chelsea have the star on their radar.
It would be easy to disregard this move but Newcastle know that they must build upon their great start or, in the medium-to-long term, face the prospect of having their biggest stars leave for bigger and better things. Newcastle have proved themselves to have an ace up their sleeve time and time again in the window - while in a tactic sense, the versatile Felix ticks a lot of boxes.
Probability: 4/10
