3 Key transfer decisions Newcastle United will have to make in the summer
With only eight games left to be played in the 2017/18 Premier League season, Newcastle United find themselves in the fight to retain their top-flight status for the upcoming campaign.
Currently stationed at 13th place in the standings, the Magpies have 32 points from 30 outings and are just four points above the relegation zone. Manager Rafael Benitez will be very well aware that a few poor results here and there could see them get embroiled in the battle for survival.
However, one would back them to make it comfortably, given that they will be facing West Bromwich Albion, Huddersfield Town and Watford in three of those eight remaining games. While the manager has to have one eye on the battle at hand, he also has to think about next season and chalk out transfer plans to have a better season next time around.
The 2017/18 transfer windows were hardly ideal for the Tynesiders and Benitez will know improvement will be needed over the summer to make his team stronger. And in that view, here are three key transfer decisions that he and the club will have to make ahead of next season.
Backing From The Owners
One thing that was clear over both the transfer windows this season with respect to Newcastle United was that owner Mike Ashley is not willing to loosen the purse strings in order to strengthen the squad. This was the biggest reason why Newcastle were hampered in the market and couldn’t get a number of deals done either in the summer or the winter window.
Talks of a takeover have been doing the rounds for quite some time now but it remains to be seen if it actually materialises. If there is a new ownership in place come summer, Benitez will want the complete backing of the people in charge to splurge in the market in order to build a better team. And in the case of Ashley remaining at the helm, things would once again look bleak for the club.
To what extent the owners of the club, new or old, decide to back the manager in the transfer window, will once again have a major bearing on Newcastle’s season.
The Curious Case of Aleksandar Mitrovic
Throughout the first half of the season, striker Aleksandar Mitrovic featured only in a meagre seven games in all competitions for Newcastle United. While he did miss a string of fixtures owing to a back problem, the 23-year old hasn’t been able to completely win the trust of the manager at the club, with his discipline or lack thereof being cited as a major deal-breaker.
The Serbian centre-forward moved to Championship side Fulham in the winter in search of regular game time and has been scoring goals for fun for the Cottagers ever since. Mitrovic, in his 9 appearances for the second division outfit, has already netted 7 times, averaging a goal every 96 minutes.
Those are impressive numbers, that go on to highlight his immense talent and capabilities. Mitrovic has been at Newcastle for close two and a half years now but hasn’t been able to live up to his potential yet. The lack of faith shown by Benitez hasn’t really helped his situation either.
However, as it has been seen since his move to Fulham if given the backing, he has what it takes to deliver the goods. And Newcastle need to decide whether they hold on to the mercurial Serbian and give him another chance to prove himself or move him on for a decent amount of money which he will fetch given his age and recent form.
A Better Strikeforce
Goals have been a major concern for Newcastle in the ongoing season. The Magpies brought in Joselu from Stoke City in the summer but the Spaniard has failed to make a mark while Dwight Gayle and Ayoze Perez have been highly inconsistent throughout the campaign. Islam Slimani, signed on loan in January, is yet to kick a ball in Newcastle colours, having been sidelined with a thigh injury.
Clearly, if Newcastle are going to fare better in the upcoming campaign, a reshuffle of the pack at the top of the attack is something that should be their top priority in the summer. A new striker should be high on Benitez’ shopping list if he is to take his team a step further next season.
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