These summer Newcastle United signings are not what many fans are expecting | OneFootball

Newcastle United signings are very much top of the agenda for most fans.

The players to come in this summer who will enable NUFC to progress further and hopefully be competitive.

With the transfer window fast approaching, I have been interested to hear and read the views of supporters on their expectations.

However, in my opinion, I don’t think the Newcastle United signings that Eddie Howe makes in this transfer window, will match up with many of these fan expectations I am reading.

The positions I am seeing talked about a lot by Newcastle fans that I DON’T think will be in the thoughts of Eddie Howe, are a new striker, a defensive midfielder, a left-back and a right sided attacking player.

A new left-back

I find this one really bizarre when Newcastle fans are talking about it.

We are already signing a ‘new’ left-back, he is called Lewis Hall. He has reached the trigger point to make his loan deal permanent and a £28m transfer fee will be paid to Chelsea this summer (or in agreed instalments etc etc).

Eddie Howe has taken it very carefully and slowly with the lifelong Newcastle fan who arrived as an 18 year old last summer but getting opportunities recently, Hall has really impressed.

We also have Dan Burn of course, whilst Trippier and Tino can both play left-back. Then everybody seems to forget that Matt Targett has already shown us that he is a very decent level left-back, especially in his half season on loan. It has been just his bad luck that Burn was part of a backline that absolutely excelled last season AND stayed fit throughout. Whilst this season when he could have had the chance, Targett is one of those amongst those with the very worst bad luck where injuries are concerned.

I would be absolutely amazed if Newcastle put major investment into a new left-back this summer.

A defensive midfielder

This is one that has been around for ages.

The idea that it is a position that desperately needs filled with a new high level signing. With the fan chatter expecting it to finally happen this summer.

Once again, I just don’t see it.

I think it is another case of many fans not appreciating / realising what we already have got in the squad.

Sandro Tonali was the big signing last summer and is set to be back available at the end of August.

With Joelinton having signed up long-term, along with Bruno I see these as the first choice midfield trio and I am excited to see it in action once they get the chance of a run together.

There is no way I see major money spent this summer on a ‘defensive midfielder’ who would come in as a first choice player AND Eddie Howe also play those other three.

A striker

This is another one that is constantly talked about as though it is the proverbial no-brainer.

An excellent article on The Mag yesterday (Saturday) actually answered this one perfectly. It detailed how we are actually already really well served in this position compared to most rival clubs, with the world class Isak backed up by Wilson, whilst Gordon has shown he can also do well playing through the middle, with even Joelinton an option if needed.

As that article pointed out, Wilson’s injury record these past two years hasn’t been that bad, massively exaggerated. The stats show Wilson has actually played in 49 of the last 71 Premier League games, 69% of them. Then if you take off these last eight matches he has missed due to a totally freak pectoral injury which is nothing to do with the injuries that have plagued him through much of his career, Wilson had played (not just been in the matchday squad) in 49 of the last 63 Newcastle PL games. Most importantly, Wilson has scored 26 goals in those last 49 PL appearances, at an average of a goal every 108 minutes on the pitch.

Having Isak as first choice and Wilson not needing to start every match, has massively helped Wilson’s injury record.

I think summer 2025 may well see major investment in another striker but not summer 2024.

A right sided attacking player

I think the unprecedented injury problems this season have overwhelmed the thinking of many fans. On the one hand they know a lot of players are missing BUT on the other hand, kind of still think the squad hasn’t been strong enough.

For me, the reality is that no squad, even Man City’s, would have been able to perform at their usual level with the number of key players Newcastle have had to do without for so long.

In the wide positions, we saw around £90m invested in Gordon, Barnes and Minteh. Again, I just don’t see massive investment this summer in this / these positions.

Gordon played on the right and Barnes on the left as Newcastle destroyed Tottenham.

Minteh may well be added to the wide position strength next season after an excellent loan season with Feyenoord, whilst we also have Willock, Almiron, Murphy and Joelinton, once again, who can play in wide positions.

Even if say Almiron was sold this summer to help boost the transfer funds and the PSR / FFP flexibility, I’m not convinced he would be replaced, especially if Minteh came into the first team squad.

The Newcastle United signings that WILL be made

What I have written above could of course be changed if Eddie Howe and Newcastle United decided to sell one or more key players. However, I don’t foresee that happening this summer.

So what about who will come in, which positions will be targeted by NUFC?

Well, I think for sure Newcastle United saw a new central defender as something they had to do this summer. Competition and a longer-term replacement for Schar, the Swiss defender set to turn 33 later this year, with Lascelles possibly leaving this summer and he turns 31 later this year.

With how things stand now and the bad injuries for Botman and Lascelles, it is now simply a question of will Eddie Howe bring in two central defenders, or just keep it to the one? Burn has done well in recent matches back in the middle, but he turns 32 himself next month and with the serious nature of their injuries meaning we have no idea exactly when next season Botman and/or Lascelles will be back, I think it will be two new central defenders coming in this next window.

The other definite signing I see happening is a goalkeeper.

Nick Pope is top class and hopefully he will be back very soon reminding us of that. However, whilst he has been a great servant to the club, I think this summer Martin Dubravka will be replaced as number two and a new younger keeper brought in to compete with Pope and provide back up. Pope conceded 14 goals in the opening 14 Premier League matches this season, Dubravka 34 conceded in his 17 PL starts so far this campaign.

You don’t need stats anyway to see the gulf in quality is now just too big between our first and second choice keepers.

Now aged 35, one of his biggest weaknesses is clearly not going to change. Dubravka hasn’t got the confidence to sweep behind the defence, something Pope excels at. It has caused massive problems for our backline, especially as they aren’t the quickest as a unit, so having a goalkeeper who can’t / won’t help them out by covering their backs and sweeping, it isn’t sustainable.

Indeed, we could see major changes in the goalkeeping department, with Karius all but certain to leave as well, with his partner and young child living in Italy. Whilst Mark Gillespie is also set to be out of contract this summer.

So I can see a new number two brought in for sure, then the third (and fourth?) goalkeeping slot(s) may well depend on whether any of Newcastle’s younger keepers are deemed up to the level needed to do the job and have potential to progress further. If not, we could see at least two new keepers coming in this summer.

So those are three Newcastle United signings I see happening for sure, two central defenders and at  least one goalkeeper, plus of course the £28m that is already committed to Lewis Hall becoming a permanent signing.

I think every chance we may see one or two younger players also signed and then loaned out, like we have seen with players such as Minteh and Kuol.

However, as for any other major Newcastle United signings on top of those detailed above, I’m not convinced they will happen.

Both due to Eddie Howe already having an excellent squad AND the dreaded PSR/FFP we have to be careful of. Newcastle may well keep spending flexibility that could then allow a major January 2025 signing if becoming available, whilst also giving extra much needed flexibility for summer 2025 when as I said earlier, amongst the signings needed then, they will very likely include big money spent on a Callum Wilson replacement.