Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that he isn’t sure how much January signing Chris Wood will feature next season for Newcastle United, as he may be replaced.
Wood signed for Newcastle in January from Burnley for £25m, and he has somewhat struggled to hit the ground running, as he has failed to score in his opening seven games in a Magpies shirt.
After the club’s takeover, Newcastle have almost unlimited funds to improve their squad, meaning that new faces will almost definitely be coming in the door at St James’ Park in the summer.
Jones told GiveMeSport that he feels Wood may see his game time limited due to the investment plans that Eddie Howe will have in the summer.
He said: “I’m not sure how much of a part Chris Wood is going to play going forward for Newcastle because they’re going to be back in that market again this summer.”
TIF Thoughts on Dean Jones’s comments…
Although Wood was brought in by Howe in January for £25m, he may not necessarily be the answer in the long run for Newcastle as they may be looking at a higher calibre of player in the future. With the injury troubles of Callum Wilson, Howe needed someone in the door quickly, so Wood was deemed the right fit to fill the striker’s boots whilst he is sidelined.
However, with the ambitions of the club moving forward, which have been shown by signing players like Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimaraes, who have Champions League experience, Wood doesn’t fall under the same category as these players.
Wood did have a solid goalscoring record in the Premier League for Burnley. He scored at least 10 goals in every full season that he had at the club. So for now at Newcastle, he will certainly do for the remainder of the season, but if the Magpies want to invest and progress into a Champions League club, they may well have to look elsewhere.