🦁 PL Previews: Newcastle aim to establish their top four credentials

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Lewis Ambrose·8 August 2023

🦁 PL Previews: Newcastle aim to establish their top four credentials

After a superb 2022/23 campaign, there are two questions for Newcastle United this summer.

Can they get over the line and win a trophy and can they repeat their Premier League form?

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Transfers 🔁

In: Sandro Tonali (Milan, £55m), Harvey Barnes (Leicester, £38m), Tino Livramento (Southampton, £36m), Yankuba Minteh (Odense, £5.8m)

Out: Allan Saint-Maximin (Al-Ahli, £26.8m), Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest, £15m), Karl Darlow (Leeds, £400k), Yankuba Minteh (Feyenoord, loan) Jamal Lewis (Watford, loan), Matty Longstaff, Ciaran Clark (both released)

Transfer balance: -£92.6m

Key fixtures 📆

August 27 — Liverpool (H)
November 25 — Chelsea (H)
December 9 — Tottenham (A)
March 9 — Chelsea (A)
April 20 — Man Utd (A)

🔑 Key player: Bruno Guimarães

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He can tackle, he can dribble, he can pass. The Brazilian does it all in the middle of the park.

Bruno offers plenty of bite and energy to a Newcastle side that prides itself on an intense style of play. That’s the mantra for Eddie Howe and the midfielder is the one who sets the tone.

And it isn’t just intensity against the ball but with the ball as well. Bruno will look to beat his man quickly and pick his head up for a through ball or a pass over the top, turning defence into attack in an instant.

Last season brought four goals, five assists and seven yellow cards in the Premier League. More than just a bit of everything. If he’s fit and in form, Newcastle will be just fine.

What has changed since last season? 🤔

Newcastle have to balance Premier League ambitions with European football, and those ambitions have shot through the roof.

So, yeah, loads has changed.

There was cautious optimism heading into 2022/23 under Eddie Howe but nobody predicted a top four finish and the prize of Champions League football. Now the challenge will be staying there, with Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham all sure to be desperate to get back into Europe’s elite competition.

The squad looks a little deeper in midfield, with Sandro Tonali joining from Milan, but that’s all as Harvey Barnes is a direct replacement for Allan Saint-Maximin out wide.

Do Newcastle have the depth (and the quality in depth) to continue last season’s fine form on multiple fronts? Tino Livramento could yet join and our predicted XI is without Joe Willock, Sean Longstaff, Anthony Gordon, Callum Wilson. Things don’t look bad …