Newcastle United has already completed one of the biggest moves of its summer rebuild, but the arrival of Nico Gonzalez from Manchester City is not expected to mark the end of the club’s transfer business.
With four days remaining before Tuesday’s deadline, Matthias Jaissle is continuing to push for reinforcements.
According to The Athletic’s Chris Waugh, Newcastle’s main goal during the remainder of the window is to add at least one attacker, although the club is deliberately keeping its options open
regarding exactly where that player operates.
“The description ‘attacker’ sounds vague but that is intentional, as Newcastle are looking at offensive targets who play in subtly different positions or have varying profiles as players,” Waugh reported.
Newcastle’s shortlist includes versatile forwards capable of playing across the front line, conventional wingers, No. 10s and out-and-out strikers. The club is simultaneously working on multiple targets rather than limiting itself to one specific position or player.
Lille’s Matias Fernandez-Pardo is the primary target, while Stuttgart midfielder Bilal El Khannouss is another player Newcastle has considered. Waugh reported that there are additional undisclosed names on a relatively small shortlist.
Beyond the attacking positions, Jaissle has also identified another area Newcastle eventually needs to address, all the way back on defense.
“Beyond creative players, Jaissle has identified centre-back as a position in which pace is required moving forwards,” Waugh reported.
However, another center-back arriving before Tuesday currently appears unlikely, even with captain Dan Burn injured and expected to be sidelined for nearly two months. Newcastle is similarly not prioritizing another full-back despite having only three senior options in those positions, with Amar Dedic’s impressive start helping ease concerns following his arrival from Benfica.
In any case, Newcastle will not panic and abandon its existing shortlist if any of the deals they’re working on or thinking about exploring become impossible to pull off, according to Waugh, although unexpected late loan opportunities could still be considered by the Magpies if reinforcements are truly deemed necessary.
Which attacking profile should Newcastle prioritize before Tuesday — a winger, No. 10, versatile forward or another striker? Are the Magpies doing the right thing by not bringing a center-back this window? Let us know in the comments section below.
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account at Coming Home Newcastle and get:
- Create community posts on The Feed for everyone to read
- Comment on all articles and community posts
- Rec comments and community posts
- Enjoy a new, improved notifications system
- Fewer ads
