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Newcastle boss details “big” summer transfer plans
Newcastle United have already been heavily linked with several potential summer transfer targets, and now Eddie Howe has spoken out on his plans for recruitment.
The Magpies are in a strong position to qualify for Champions League football this season as they are currently third in the Premier League and three points clear of Chelsea in fifth with two fixtures remaining.
While the certainty of playing on the most elite European stage next season is not yet confirmed, there will be huge confidence in the Newcastle dressing room following the important victory over Chelsea at the weekend.
Newcastle will face tough competition with Arsenal away this weekend and Everton at home on the final day of the season, but just three points will seal the deal.
It has already been a campaign that the Geordies could have only dreamed of, even just 12 months ago, as they finally ended their 70-year trophy drought, which led to city-wide celebrations featuring hundreds of thousands of fans.
The former Bournemouth boss has rightfully earned his plaudits for the unrivalled progress he has unlocked on Tyneside, and has cemented himself as one of the club’s greatest managers in modern history thanks to the Carabao Cup success.
Now he can add a cherry on top of a dream-achieving campaign with Champions League football qualification and an impactful summer recruitment drive to prepare the squad to compete at an elite level across both domestic and European competition next season.
Howe spoke out after the clash with Chelsea and gave a rare insight into the club’s recruitment plans this summer (via Shields Gazette):
“I think we’re missing some big players. Whenever you do that, there’s a gap [in quality].
“I thought the lads that came in did really well, they filled that gap superbly, and from my perspective, that’s what you’re looking for. You want people to step up and show their qualities, and when you’re bringing in people like Sven Botman and Anthony Gordon, they’re top-class players. I thought they both played well, but below that, of course we’re now slightly stretched.
“We’ll see if we can get a couple of players back. Of course, and I’ve made no attempt to hide from this fact, the summer window will be a big window for us.”
“We’ve not been afraid historically if the money’s there to sign a big player, i.e. Alex [Isak],” Howe said.
“For me, that was big money at the time and it still is big money in anyone’s world but we felt he was the right player to spend that money on, so I’m more than happy to do that if that’s the right thing and it has the biggest effect for the team and for the squad.”
“But I don’t think I can give you a clear answer now on what direction we will go because we don’t know everything that we need to know.”
What do Newcastle need in the summer?
There is no doubt that Newcastle fans have had to be patient and trust the process in relation to the recruitment strategy on Tyneside over the last 18 months.
Sound financial restraint and taking the opportunity to offload Miguel Almiron and Lloyd Kelly has put Newcastle in an enviable position to commit significant investment when the transfer window opens on June 1st.
It is well known that the Magpies have come up against PSR restrictions which led to the sale of Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson, but they look to be on the other side of it which couldn’t come at a better time.
Almiron’s departure has left the right winger role significantly depleted, though Jacob Murphy has been a shining performer in the attacking role with only Mohamed Salah (18) registering more league assists than the 30-year-old (12) this season so far.
Indeed, Murphy will likely remain a consistent feature in the attacking threat but in terms of the long term future, it will be important for the club to cement a long-standing front three to add even more quality alongside Isak and Anthony Gordon.
Not only that, Newcastle are strongly linked to the acquisition of a goalkeeper with both James Trafford and Aaron Ramsdale named as potential targets, while a centre-back is also on their list of priorities and fresh reports of another pursuit of Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.
