Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - November 9, 2022. Chelsea's Christian Pulisic reacts.
Transfer expert Dean Jones says Newcastle United have retained their interest in signing Chelsea duo Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek this summer.
The Lowdown: Lack of game time
Both Pulisic and Loftus-Cheek have suffered from a lack of game time so far this season, with just 21 and 23 appearances made respectively in total over all competitions, and eight other players in the squad featuring more (Transfermarkt).
On £150,000-per-week and £120,000-per-week respectively as well, Chelsea may consider letting them go in order to trim down their wage bill, and especially after the influx of players that they have signed in the last two transfer windows.
The Latest: Retained interest
Writing in his column for GiveMeSport, Jones notes that Newcastle have been linked with moves for Pulisic and Loftus-Cheek recently, and that interest has been retained ahead of the summer window.
Pulisic is an especially ‘intriguing’ player to them, but his wage may prove to be a stumbling block in terms of getting a deal over the line.
The Verdict: Quality squad depth
Signing Pulisic and Loftus-Cheek would add quality squad depth for Eddie Howe going into next season.
His side look set to qualify for European football through their Premier League position, and so will need a bigger squad if they are going to fight on four fronts.
Pulisic and Loftus-Cheek have plenty of top-flight and European experience between them, and at 24 and 27 years of age respectively, are about to enter their prime.
Nonetheless, this would be a smart double deal to do, as the Magpies would also be weakening one of their Premier League rivals in the process.
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