According to Dean Jones, Newcastle United will look to spend lots of money on a big-name striker during the summer transfer window.
Following the Saudia Arabian Private Investment Fund’s takeover over of the Magpies last year, the Premier League outfit find themselves with almost incomprehensible funds at their disposal. They displayed their wealth in January, parting with £118.35m to bring in five new faces, but none of the new arrivals were household names, while Bruno Guimaraes was the only signing who had not previously played in the English top flight.
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones revealed he expects the Toon to spend a fortune on a well-known forward at the end of the season. He said, “It could honestly be anyone. They’re just going to throw money at whoever seems available from across Europe. So, I still think that they’ll sign a massive name this summer up front.”
TIF Thoughts on Newcastle transfer plans
It seems inevitable that Newcastle will embark on a summer splurge, and a striker should be near the top of their list of priorities. Since joining from Burnley, Chris Wood has provided a focal point up front, but two goals in 14 outings have hardly added the glamour the club’s new owners are surely looking for.
Money will not be an issue for Newcastle, but convincing top-level players they are the right destination when they cannot offer European football could be. The best strikers on the planet already play at the highest level and are unlikely to move on in the summer for one reason or another.
Will Newcastle replace Chris Wood?
Yes
No
Newcastle’s best option will be to look at the level below those so-called “massive name” players. Darwin Nunez, for example, remains an up-and-coming centre-forward, but has 33 goals in all competitions for Benfica this season, including six in the Champions League. Meanwhile, Duvan Zapata, who was reportedly the subject of a Newcastle bid in January, may not qualify for Europe with Atalanta next term and has a record of one goal every two games for the Italian side.
Either way, it promises to be a busy few months for Newcastle as they continue to put their squad together.