Three Newcastle United signings that make sense in January transfer window with FFP in mind | OneFootball

It has been a brutal last six weeks or more as injuries to Newcastle United players have devastated the squad.

And although I do not need to remind you…

Off the top of my head here is the current list of Newcastle United players with injuries / niggles.

Plus MY prognosis (not NUFC’s as their information is even more vague than mine):

Nick Pope – Out for season Trippier – Knackered physically and mentally Krafth – Gashed shin with stitches inserted Schar – Niggle or short term injury Botman – Getting back to match fitness Burn – Close to full match fitness Targett – Out for unspecified length of time (February?) Anderson – Out for unspecified length of time (February) Joelinton – Niggle or short term injury Longstaff – Getting back to match fitness Barnes – Out until February Gordon – Close to knackered, niggles, perhaps a short-term injury Murphy – Out until February / March Isak – Niggle or short-term injury Wilson – Close to knackered Almiron – Close to knackered

Any way you slice it, our first team Newcastle United players and even some of our back-up players are injured, nursing niggles, and/or are exhausted. Like most of you, I’ve never seen it quite this dire.

The lads are working hard and the gaffer / coaches are fielding the most competitive squad possible. They deserve our support.

There’s been some revelations – Lewis Miley as a budding star, Tino Livramento – a star made before our eyes. Less positive is Lewis Hall who, even on a team of walking wounded, can’t seem to get on the pitch.

The results have been relatively predictable, albeit disappointing. In spite of hard work and graft, many Newcastle United players can’t give enough for 90 minutes to get a result.

Eddie’s had to modify the way we’ve played to remain in contention – including uncharacteristically “parking the bus” when needed. We all know that by necessity and not choice as Eddie likes a pressing, front-foot style of play with “intensity being our identity”. It is a mentally and physically taxing brand of football but, when our players are healthy, has proven to be eye-pleasing and point producing football.

Expectedly, tired players can’t do it consistently and they make mental and physical mistakes. To say it’s been frustrating is stating the obvious but, as I said before, it’s predictable.

We’ve been tossed from the Champions League (cheated out of it by VAR at PSG) and we’ve “errored” our way out of the Carabao Cup. We were embarrassed at Everton and lambasted by Spurs. We are 6th in the table though and have had some decent results.

We have two winnable matches coming up at Luton and home v. Forest – that could end the month somewhat positively – although nothing can be taken for granted.

I said in November (and got stick from some) that if we stay within touching distance of the European spots after the Liverpool match, we’d be ok going into the window. As the December schedule was just too much for a thin, injury-ravaged side. We are thus far, and because of that, I am positive we could end the Premier League season in a European position. To do that, we have to be smart about utilising the window.

I have some recommendations for Newcastle United signings that are realistic (we cannot forget about FFP restrictions hamstringing our options).

Recommendation #1:

Sign David de Gea on a short-term contract through the end of the season. It’s a no-brainer in my opinion.

He’s an experienced, proven shot-stopper and better than Dubravka. He can’t be guaranteed to be a starter, as his match sharpness cannot be up to scratch – but he’d have January to get sharper and provide quality depth at a minimum to our keeper unit.

Sign Hugo Ekitike from PSG as a loan w/option.

There are many who’d turn their noses away from the lad as he spurned us previously but he’s a French lad who had the opportunity to play in his country with some of the best players in the world. I am not judging him too harshly for that.

Some would say “he’s barely played and there is a reason for that” BUT – look who he is playing behind! He’s only 21, has pace and skill, and Eddie Howe and the staff believed he’d fit into our style of play well. That doesn’t change so quickly… and thus I think we’d still rate him highly.

Wilson is older and injury prone. Isak has been nursing a niggle for months and cannot carry the load when Wilson invariably hurts a hamstring. And Gordon is most dangerous when used across the front line instead of as a #9. We need help and I believe we can get the loan for Ekitike completed.

Recommendation #3:

Bring back Isaac Hayden from his loan at Standard Liege.

He may not fit into Eddie’s system and he’s not young anymore but: 1) He’s our signing (2) He could potentially be made available (3) he can do a job to help close out a match and, most importantly, (4) he can give our other players a rest as he’s good for competently “soaking up minutes”.

He can always be loaned out again or sold in the summer if necessary.

In light of the injuries, we can sign these players with minimal impact on FFP metrics to help us for the remainder of this season.

We can save our powder for the summer when money goes further.

Our Spring schedule will be more open than it’s been (the only bright side after being bounced in two tournaments) and this would give us enough depth and oomph to push us forward when the injured players return. I’m not ruling out a return to Europe or an FA Cup trophy.