With the long-anticipated takeover of Newcastle United finally completed, the Magpies now have a full-blown war chest to bring in players in the upcoming transfer windows. Several players and managers have been touted as possible signings for Newcastle, so we’ve taken a look at who the new owners might be interested in bringing in.
Goalkeeper
Keylor Navas is the only goalkeeper in history to have won three Champions Leagues in a row, and is currently warming the bench at PSG following the arrival of Gianluigi Donnarumma. At 34, he’s at the peak of his goalkeeping career and will surely be looking for opportunities to play more regularly and keep up the excellent form he’s shown for Costa Rica in their CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying campaign.
Defenders
Given that Steve Bruce has been the manager at Newcastle for over two years, Amanda Staveley has probably found a list of defenders as long as one of his kebab receipts lying around St. James’s Park. Kalidou Koulibaly has already been linked with a move to the North-East, while Milan Škriniar would be an interesting choice to partner him. Despite Juventus having arguably the best defence in Serie A, it’s an ageing one, and looking to the Inter centre-back would make more sense.
At left-back, up-and-coming Canadian talent Alphonso Davies would add attacking flair while the American Sergino Dest could also slot in on the opposite flank with cash-strapped Barcelona in no position to turn down offers for their biggest stars – both helping to boost Newcastle’s profile in the North American market.
Midfielders
Staying with Barcelona and their financial woes for the moment, last year’s star man Pedri caught everyone’s eye with his performances in La Liga, the Champions League, the Euros, the Olympics and more. Speculation states that Pedri’s release clause is somewhere between €70 and €400 million, but a figure somewhere between those numbers would probably be a good deal for both clubs considering the current situation.
Another teenage wonderkid who has launched himself onto everyone’s radar except Gareth Southgate’s is Jude Bellingham. Having matured (at 18!) to become a regular starter for Borussia Dortmund, he might be interested in a return to England – especially as it seems that the England setup don’t seem to have shelled out for the European football package.
We go back to Italy and Inter Milan for our last midfielder, Nicolò Barella. The Euro 2020 winner would provide some much-appreciated experience in the Newcastle midfield and is a player who certainly knows how to win trophies.
Attackers
Neymar. The poster boy of world football is always looking to shake things up, and having recently stated that he might pack in international football after the 2022 World Cup, may well be up for a new challenge in a new league. He would also welcome a move back into the spotlight, having become “a part of the furniture” at PSG with the arrivals of Mbappé, Messi, Ramos, Donnarruma, et al.
Although plenty of you will now be frothing at the mouth at the prospect of a Neymar, Mbappé, and Haaland front three, I’m going to disappoint you. It’s unlikely that Mbappé and Haaland would move over to Newcastle in the near future given that the Magpies are currently not in Europe and are unlikely to secure a Champions League place ahead of the summer window. One striker that would be a perfect addition, though, would be Karim Benzema. With Real Madrid dead set on securing the two wonderkids of world football next summer, Benzema might see his future elsewhere and Madrid would certainly be glad of the funds to get the other two deals over the line. The striker is currently 33, but is in the form of his life for both Madrid and France, and would provide unrivalled experience at the biggest club in the world as well as his goalscoring threat.
Last but not least, Harry Kane wants out of Tottenham, Daniel Levy wants money, and Newcastle have lots of it. It seems that the England striker has downed tools this season, but as they say, class is permanent, and Harry Kane knows how to score Premier League goals. Although the striker isn’t lighting the world on fire this season, Levy will be hoping that Newcastle’s newfound wealth will trigger a bidding war with Manchester City for the England forward.
Brendan Rodgers is now the clear favourite to be the next Newcastle United manager. (Source: @oddschecker) pic.twitter.com/OgFCjXdlgL
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) October 12, 2021
Manager
According to all the reports, Bruce is on his way out and it looks like Brendan Rodgers is on his way in. However, in the spirit of creating a “Dream Team”, we can’t leave out this important position. Apart from Rodgers, Newcastle could look to the RB Leipzig manager academy that is increasingly popular these days, and perhaps make an approach for Julian Nagelsmann or Jesse Marsch. But there’s one man that’s been at a top club for a decade and might be looking for a new challenge – Diego Simeone. The Atlético Madrid boss might feel he’s taken the club as far as he can by pipping Real and Barcelona to the title twice and reaching two Champions League finals, and would be an interesting choice given his experience working with owners looking to invest in and revolutionise a club.
Who do you think might sign for Newcastle in the near future? Let us know in the comments below!