Newcastle United have been linked with all manner of ring-sided forwards/wingers this summer and as the players have returned for pre-season training, with stories swirling that Eddie Howe wants two players in before the trip to Japan, expect things to really heat up in the clubs attempts to sign a forward-thinking, dynamic, right-sided attacker.
Last season Kieron Trippier finished with ten assists in the Premier League, an excellent return which built on his seven the previous campaign. Miguel Almiron finished 2023/24 with a solitary assist. Trippier’s output down our right has sometimes masked Almiron’s deficiencies in front of him, and at 30 years of age, the Paraguayan’s time on Tyneside may be up.
An attempt to sign Michael Olise last month excited the fanbase after he finished the season with ten goals and six assists in just 19 appearances, a quite frankly marvellous output from such limited game time. Unfortunately, Olise has taken a £250,000 a week deal as Bayern Munich paid £45 million for his services.
In this piece, I’ll take a look at some of the overseas players who’ve been linked, featuring a few ones to watch if Eddie Howe and Paul Mitchell look abroad for our new right-winger.
One name who seems to have been linked with the club ever since Saudi owners arrived is Federico Chiesa. The Juventus man is said to be stalling on signing a new contact, with recent reports suggesting that Newcastle, Chelsea and Spurs are interested in the Italy international.
The 26-year-old scored ten goals last season and only has one year left on his deal and is rumoured to be available at a cut-price £20 million. Notwithstanding, his goal output and versatility across the forward line –unfortunately since Chiesa tore his cruciate ligament in Jan 2022, he has had a precession of muscle injury problems – missing 72 games for club and country – something Newcastle can ill-afford.
Fresh from winning Euro 2024, there are reports in Spain that Barcelona are about to step up their attempts to sign Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao in a deal that would see them match his reported €50 million release clause – despite Barca’s acute financial problems. The Chronicle reported earlier in July that the 27-times La Liga winners would look to sell Ronald Araujo and Raphinha to finance the move. This is where Newcastle could strike, especially now Williams – a player we have liked for a long time – is no longer attainable after his summer heroics.
Raphinha has Premier League experience, scoring 17 times across 65 appearances in all competitions at Leeds. He’s a remarkably skilful player with a noticeably better output than any of Newcastle’s current right-sided options. Leeds fans often cooed when he pulled on the white shirt drawing comparisons to another Leeds great, Tony Yeboah, a one-man goal of the month machine in his own right.
At 27, the Brazilian should be entering his prime years and had 89 shot creating actions and 13 goal creating actions last season, almost double and triple Almiron’s. Finances could be an issue, especially if his wage demands are huge, but he ticks a lot of boxes.
A few other names who’ve been linked include Argentine talent Matias Soule, who is now back at Juventus after an impressive loan spell with Frosinone. There was also a stage where fellow South American Kevin Zenon was tipped to arrive from Boca Juniors, although that one has gone quiet of late.
The German media have credited us with an interest in Mainz sensation Brajan Gruda, with Galatasaray’s Baris Alper Yilmaz, Dutch star Xavi Simons, Girona’s Viktor Tsygankov and Bayern’s Serge Gnabry also linked over the past week; although Sky Germany reckon any move for the latter is a non-starter.
Jonathan David, the 24-year-old Canadian international is another to have been linked with a move to United. The Lille player is widely reported to be available for €£25 million and can play cross the frontline, although he has mainly been used as a striker during his time in France, notching an impressive 71 goals in 146 appearances for Les Dogues.
David is an exciting player with room to grow, but Newcastle should be looking to sign a specialist right-sided forward instead of a man who is clearly a striker and shoehorning him into a wing position.
