Soccer Football - FA Cup - Semi Final - Crystal Palace v Aston Villa - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - April 26, 2025 Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins in action Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs
Newcastle United are making the signing of a striker a top priority this summer, after confirming Callum Wilson’s exit last week.
The Newcastle stalwart enjoyed a five-year stint on Tyneside wearing the number nine shirt, but will now move on to the next chapter of his career following the expiration of his contract.
The Magpies already boast one of the most sought-after strikers in the world in Alexander Isak, but bringing in another centre-forward to rotate with the Swedish sensation would put them in an advantageous position.
After the success of last season, Eddie Howe will want to maintain momentum by adding further silverware and competing comfortably across all competitions, including the Champions League.
Achieving this will require the depth and reliability in the squad to maintain the high standards that have been set at St James’ Park.
Last week, Daily Mail reporter Craig Hope revealed that Newcastle were considering a number of striker options, including Hugo Ekitike, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins.
Now, Football Insider has spoken exclusively to finance expert Stefan Borson to gain a better understanding of the financial commitment Newcastle would need to make to sign Watkins.
Borson explained:
“I think we can see that Newcastle have got a kind of £125-150million budget before selling.
“Watkins is a player you can think about buying, but we talked previously about how much he would cost overall and his age.
“It’s a £100million deal basically. It’s a £50million fee and it’s a £50million contract there or there about.
“That’s the entry price. You want to buy a proven striker, it’s a £100million commitment.
“Have they got it? Have they got the capacity? Have they got the appetite to push PSR this season?
“Then on the other side, maybe they have because they have big revenues coming through next season through the Champions League.
“It’s probably £60-70million guaranteed, with five home games almost certainly. It mounts up.”
Should Newcastle sign Ollie Watkins?
The signing of Watkins would certainly make a statement about Newcastle’s intention to compete at the highest level next season, if they can get a deal over the line.
The talented England international – described as a “terrific player” by Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy – has tallied an impressive 87 goals and 42 assists for Villa, averaging a goal contribution every 137 minutes.
There is no doubt that Watkins is a consistent, experienced and confident Premier League striker, with the capability to have a huge impact on the attacking threat on Tyneside.
Still, committing such a significant financial investment to a 29-year-old striker would be a considerable gamble for Newcastle, especially if the intention is also to extend and improve Alexander Isak’s contract.
It is no secret that the Magpies have faced consistent battles with financial restrictions, and this summer, they have finally found some freedom in their spending capacity.
However, it remains unclear just how far they can flex their finances without risking further constraints, which could hinder their ability to make future signings if negatively impacted.
It will be interesting to see whether Newcastle are in a position to spend at least £50m on a striker this summer, given that they are also in urgent need of reinforcements in their defensive set-up, which will require further investment.
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