It seems the takeover at Newcastle United is mere days away, and the transfer speculation is still rife. When the transfer window eventually opens, Newcastle are tipped to be very busy – but who should they go for?
It’s important not to be over-ambitious with these transfer targets, but there are some realistic targets who could be very good additions to the Tynesiders. I’ve put together a list of three players they could target who won’t command nine digit figure transfer fees, but would be top class additions to the team.
The valuations used are taken from TransferMarkt.
Boubakary Soumare – Lille – £22m
21-year-old defensive midfielder Boubakary Soumare was linked with the Tynesiders back in January and, after a very impressive 2019/20 campaign, has attracted attention from a host of Premier League clubs.
He’s tall, he’s powerful, he’s quick and he’s an absolute beast in the middle of the park. With the way he moves on the ball he reminds me a lot of Paul Pogba, but has the work rate and ability to track back and defend too. He’d be a brilliant addition to the Newcastle team, especially at £22m.
The issue here is that United will no doubt have some competition on their hands if they are to secure his services. If they managed it, he’d certainly be an instant hit with the Newcastle faithful.
Jack Grealish – Aston Villa – £27.45m
Aston Villa star Jack Grealish has enjoyed a brilliant season this term but will surely be looking to move on this summer. While the likes of Manchester United have been heavily linked, their recent purchase of Bruno Fernandes makes that somewhat unlikely.
If Aston Villa are to go down, which they would do if the season ended right now or was settled using points per game as suggested, Grealish will be looking to move on. He’s valued at £27.45m but would likely cost a bit more than that, particularly if Villa do end up staying in the league.
If there’s evidence of a project in place on Tyneside this summer, I think Grealish would most definitely see the Magpies as a very good option for his career.
For this move to happen, Newcastle, in my eyes, would have to appoint someone like like Rafael Benitez or Mauricio Pochettino as manager to show clear evidence of a project in the works. With Steve Bruce at the helm, Grealish may very well see a move to Newcastle a sideways step.
Jetro Willems – Frankfurt – £4.95m
While it’s not a move that will have fans on the edge of their seats, bringing Jetro Willems back on a permanent deal is something that would most definitely please the Newcastle fan base.
Willems has spent the 2019/20 on loan at Newcastle but was ruled out for the rest of the season after picking up an injury against Chelsea back in January. His Instagram posts and Twitter posts seem to suggest he wants a return, and the fans most definitely want a return – but will Newcastle go for it? They should do.
They have an option to buy Willems in the loan agreement which, if reports are to be believed, would cost the new owners somewhere in the region of £7m – a drop in the ocean by modern day standards. For me, that’s a good deal that fills a need for the Magpies – it makes perfect sense from all standpoints.
Where does the Newcastle takeover stand?
At the time of writing, the takeover at Newcastle United is all but a done deal and is awaiting approval from the Premier League. The league have come under immense pressure from a number of organisations to block the takeover, but that doesn’t seem likely at this point.
The Amnesty International and Fair Square letters told the Premier League they should block the takeover on moral grounds. As it is, reports suggest that the league can’t actually do that and it would require the government to step in – which they have said they will not be doing.
The letter regarding piracy issues from BeIN Sports presented more of a dilemma for the Premier League but, given that the PIF have not been convicted of breaking any laws and the case was dismissed in a Paris court, this issue cannot and should not impact the takeover.
It seems it’s only a matter of time before the club will change hands, bringing an end to a 13 year period of Mike Ashley. Finally.
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