Players who could take United to the next level
THE PLAYERS AVAILABLE AT THE RIGHT PRICE WHO COULD TAKE UNITED TO THE NEXT LEVEL
RAFA Benitez has scouted the players, sourced their availability and handed the names to Lee Charnley to push for deals.
Newcastle United’s summer rebuild should – if Benitez gets his way – see a considerable turnover in players this summer as the Magpies look to add experience and a touch of quality to a team that managed to secure 10th place last season.
Benitez likes the chemistry and work-rate of his Magpies but acknowledges there is more required if they are going to tilt for the top eight or even try to qualify for Europe.
And while Charnley insists he WILL be backed in this close season and beyond, there is plenty of work to do if they are going to secure the sort of targets who make a real difference to the level they’re competing at.
United’s budget is not yet known but with Mike Ashley promising to provide “every penny” Newcastle have earned through securing promotion, there should be more substantial funds than last summer’s £40million spend. Add into the mix £30m in player sales – United want £20m for Aleksandar Mitrovic as Fulham press for a deal – and there might be enough to refresh the squad on a budget.
Here is how you can inject quality into Newcastle’s squad.
Abel Hernandez
Hull City forward Hernandez is a free agent and has confirmed he will leave the Tigers, where his record was prolific. Twentyeight goals in 49 matches – including eight after returning from a serious injury at the end of the last Championship campaign – hints at a player with an eye for goal.
Unlikely to be viewed as the main striker target, United would look at Hernandez as someone to add competition in a department where they have precious little competition.
As a free transfer, United would be dodging substantial fees – although agents and signing-on fees should be taken into account for a player who has several suitors.
Leander Dendoncker
The 23-year-old is ready to move this summer and is priced at around £18m by Anderlecht, who are braced for offers this season. He can play at either centreback or as a defensive midfielder and while that might mean competition for Isaac Hayden, he certainly possesses the sort of quality Newcastle require to kick on again next season. West Ham and Watford have looked at him and he’d be a good fit for the Premier League.
What’s more, a move to Newcastle would appeal after he had wanted to move LAST summer. “Anderlecht was not the problem, it’s just that after the title [last season] I had the desire to take the next step in my career. Logical, right? I was ready, I thought, for a new challenge.”
If he has a good World Cup, he could be a wanted man.
Kenedy
Newcastle are likely to return to Chelsea with offers this summer but the rule restricting clubs to taking just one loan player from a rival topflight club means United must prioritise.
And while they would dearly love to sign Kenedy on a permanent deal, the season-long loan option with a pre-arranged transfer fee might be more economically viable if Newcastle can do it.
Put simply: Kenedy was the game changer for Newcastle after the January transfer window as he added creativity and a dash of the unpredictable to United’s midfield.
SIX PLAYERS WHO COULD ADD TOUCH OF TOON CLASS
Alternatives, if United can’t bring him in, include Garry Rodrigues of Galatasaray or Adama Traore of Middlesbrough, who would both add a different dimension for United. But Kenedy has the potential to be the biggest and most important capture of the summer if Newcastle can pull it off.
Badou N’Diaye
The Stoke midfielder has confirmed that he will leave the relegated Potters, for whom he proved a star after making a January switch from Galatasaray. The £14m signing wants to stay in the Premier League and he proved a direct running attacking threat for the Potters. Two goals in 13 games – plus a number of eye-catching performances – would make him a decent signing for Newcastle at around the £15m mark.
Willian Jose
If Benitez wants a striker with physical presence and real pedigree, the Brazil international might just be that man.
United were linked with a move for him LAST summer before a stunning campaign in La Liga that saw him hit 15 goals and break into the Brazil squad. But he might be available for £25m if United can finally release the shackles and spend some of the money they recoup from Mitrovic’s sale.
Alternative names to consider, if this proves too ambitious, would include Bournemouth’s Josh King, who is unsettled at Dean Court.
Craig Dawson
The West Brom stopper would be a great addition for United, who are also understood to be looking at Jonny Evans – who has a £3m relegation clause in his Albion contract. But Evans is a long-term target for teams with Champions League aspirations while Dawson – who would not come cheap either – might be a more realistic target. He starred in Albion’s late resurgence and would likely add real competition in a department where Newcastle have Florian Lejuene, Jamaal Lascelles and Ciaran Clark as their main men. Benitez is understood to be keen to add further competition and the 28-year-old has plenty of Premier League experience, having played more than 100 times for the Hawthorns club.
Kenedy has the potential to be the biggest and most important capture of the summer if Newcastle can pull it off