With this season starting to wind down, we thought it apt that we take a look into a few players we think Newcastle United should sign. If anyone doesn't know, in 2021 the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia completed a blockbuster £300 million takeover of Newcastle United.
In layman's terms.....Newcastle have MONEY. If they manage to stay in the Premier League, which is looking likely. They'll be looking to splash that cash in the Summer. Let's dive in to the players who we think would be a good fit for Newcastle.
Gabriel Jesus
Once tipped to be the next hot prospect, Jesus hasn’t really flourished at City as we would’ve hoped. In most recent times, he’s been pushed out wide and the likes of Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden occupy the ‘striker’ position.
Everyone knows that City are still in the hunt for a striker. They need that world class talent up top to keep them competing at the highest level.
We think it’s now fair to say that Gabriel Jesus is not the next Sergio Agüero. Unfortunately for him, it’s not panned out the way that he would’ve wanted to.
This season's stats are reflective of the role Jesus is playing for City. However even the season before's stats aren't good enough for a striker at one of the best teams in the world.
So, what’s next? A move north to Newcastle may be exactly what he needs to rejuvenate his career. He’s fast, he can finish, he has great work ethic. He just needs to play more. He will get that opportunity at Newcastle whose current strikers are Chris Wood and Callum Wilson. This makes perfect sense to us.
Jordan Pickford
This one is conditional on Everton and how their season ends.
Pickford is clearly England’s #1. He is up there with some of the best goalies in the league right now. He should not be playing for a struggling Everton side. If Newcastle want to start to improve and make changes with all their financial backing, having a strong elite keeper for many years is a good way to build a solid foundation.
Pickford isn't going to break into the first team for the majority of the top six sides, and Everton have a lot of work to do if they want to even be mentioned in the equation of Europe any time soon. So Newcastle seems like a logical step for Pickford.
Pickford's stats over the past two years haven't been great. But they are reflective of a struggling Everton side. If you watch Everton play, you see Pickford called into action on numerous occasions. Hard to forget his stellar performances in Euro 2020 too, which proves he can be a top end keeper with better quality in-front of him.
Antony Matheus dos Santos (Antony)
Another Brazilian! Antony is incredible to watch. He's young, exciting and has that Brazilian skill and flair that attracts so many people across the world to the sport.
Currently turning out for Ajax in the Dutch Eredivisie, we think he has the ability to make the jump to the Premier League and prove himself on a bigger stage.
He's recently been linked with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City. But if we were him, we would go to Newcastle. Yes, you wouldn't see European football next season, but Newcastle have all the means to be the next Manchester City, and create their own dynasty. Antony could play a critical role in assisting Newcastle on their journey to the top.
Antony is having a cracking season so far with 22 goal contributions in 33 games in all competitions. It would be great to see what he can do in a more competitive league.
Noni Madueke
Staying in the Dutch league with another potential star. Madueke made a ballsy move when deciding to leave Tottenham and sign with PSV at the young age of 16. You don’t see many English players these days making the permanent switch abroad. This switch however has certainly worked for Noni. He’s emerging as one of the most electric young players on the wing. It’s easy to forget that he’s only 20 but is now a key part of the PSV attack.
Recently, Madueke has stated he would like to return to England. We think that Newcastle would be an ideal fit. The thought of Madueke and Saint-Maximin tearing it up down the wings will surely bring fear to Premier League fullbacks.
With games still left this season, Madueke has been averaging just less than a goal or assist every other game for the past two years. Yes this is in the the Dutch League, but he's young, he's only going to get better. With better quality players around him too, you'd imagine his stats will improve.
Kalidou Koulibaly
Our last selection is a little different, Koulibaly is not young. He’s 30 years old and stands at a whopping 6’5. He’s got a good head, quick and strong. Everything you look for in a centre back.
After spending the last 8 years with Napoli, we think it’s time for a change. Clubs from all over Europe are circling like sharks for his signature, with his current contract ending in the summer of 2023. The like of Manchester United and Barcelona being the frontrunners.
Koulibaly’s experience and leadership skills could be very much welcomed at Newcastle who could potentially have a very young team next season. Not to mention he’s coming off the back of captaining Senegal in winning the AFCON tournament this year.
Kouilbaly's stats this season is nothing to shout about. He's defensively solid and will offer a lot of off the ball skills to Newcastle.
All of these picks are what we think Newcastle should do. With bags of money, the options are limitless for them. The lack of European football is a big blow to their chances of signing top quality players, but there are good players out there who will be able to get them to Europe. The likes of Jesus and Anthony in particular could really bolster their squad and prove to the world that they mean business.
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