Magpies must swoop for star striker – but who fits bill?
Newcastle need to bolster their attack – here are some of the options assessed...
NEWCASTLE United are now looking to bolster their attacking options before the opening day of the campaign against Nottingham Forest.
Eddie Howe’s side have already been active early on in the window, bringing in Matt Targett, Nick Pope and Sven Botman, but attention has now switched to offensive additions.
Their pursuit of Hugo Ekitike has been well documented and is one of the transfer sagas of the summer, but the French forward looks set to sign for PSG in the coming weeks after the Ligue 1 champions agreed a deal in principle.
The Magpies reportedly walked away after being unable to agree a deal, with Moussa Diaby of Bayer Leverkusen emerging as an alternative option.
The Bundesliga outfit have slapped a £60million asking price on the 22-year-old and as of yet, Howe’s side are unwilling to meet those demands.
Other alternatives have been suggested, with recently relegated Maxwel Cornet and Emmanuel Dennis both offered to Newcastle last week.
Anthony Gordon is another who has emerged as a possible option for Newcastle this summer, after an impressive campaign with the Toffees.
Raphinha is another name that’s been linked with St. James’ Park but he looks set to get his dream move to Barcelona later this month.
The Journal has taken a look at Diaby and his alternatives to see how they compare.
MOUSSA DIABY
Diaby would be the statement signing Newcastle United supporters are hoping for this summer, valued at £60million by the Bundesliga outfit. His playing style is a mix of Arsenal prospect Bukayo Saka and Newcastle’s Allan Saint-Maximin.
The left-footed winger who operates on the right scored an impressive 13 goals last season. Out of every U23 player in Europe, only Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior has scored more goals (17) than Diaby (13).
He created an impressive 40 big chances for Leverkusen, with 31 goal contributions in 43 outings. In comparison to the current Newcastle squad Saint-Maximin made the most goal contributions last season with 10.
Diaby also surpassed his expected goals for the season – which stood at 6.3xg – ranking 31st in the Bundesliga. His 13 goals for the season saw him finish the eight highest scorer last season.
ANTHONY GORDON
Gordon is another youngster who has burst onto the scene recently. The Everton academy graduate was a silver lining in a disappointing campaign for the Toffees, netting four goals and registered
a further three assists across 40 appearances in all competitions.
Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur are the two Premier League sides reportedly leading the way to sign the England U21’s international with talk of a £35million approach, but Frank Lampard’s side are pulling out all the stops to keep him at Goodison Park.
Gordon created 20 big chances for Everton last season, an impressive figure given it’s his breakthrough campaign.
He was slightly behind his expected goals for the season, which stood at 4.43xg – a statistic that places him 79th in the Premier League standings. It’s said Gordon would prefer a move to Antonio Conte’s side in order to play European football, although he’s not actively looking to
force a move.
Lampard’s side are set to offer him a new deal and have reportedly given him the number 10 shirt ahead of next season.
MAXWEL CORNET
Newcastle United could capitalise on Cornet’s £17.5million release clause to lure him to Tyneside this summer. Chelsea, Leeds United and Tottenham have all been credited with a move for the Burnley winger, who could leave Turf Moor this summer after the Clarets’ relegation to the Championship.
The Ivorian scored nine goals in 26 games in all competitions after signing a five-year deal last summer. Burnley struggled to create chances and indeed find the back of the net which played a big part in their downfall last season.
Cornet was their standout player after making the switch for a reported fee of EUR12million from Lyon. He created 32 big chances last season surpassing his expected goals of 6.63 which placed him 44th in Premier League rankings.
The versatile defender, who is also capable of playing as a winger and up front, is likely to be the cheapest alternative, but can still boast Champions League football.
EMMANUEL DENNIS
Emmanuel Dennis was reportedly offered to Newcastle United last week after scoring ten goals for a struggling Watford side. Like Cornet, the Nigerian international is able to boast Champions League pedigree at a relatively young age.
The 24-year-old has been linked with the Magpies on a number of occasions and was the standout performer for the Hornets last season. It’s believed they value the striker in the £20-30million region and is their most valuable asset following relegation.
Dennis created 32 big chances last season, ranking 30th in Premier League, also surpassing his expected goals of 7.16. Watford have already made their stance clear on Dennis, after he expressed a desire to leave.