Magpies must buy smart and Eriksen fits bill
EDDIE HOWE’S Mission Improbable is complete – so what about a sequel?
Well, ‘Newcastle United: The Rebirth’ is under way.
The angst and bitterness, which enveloped St James’ Park at the start of this campaign, has disappeared and a renewed sense of optimism is encircling Tyneside.
Howe’s he turned it around? A renewed sense of purpose, collective willpower and the positive energy a unit ed club generates.
Oh, and the small matter of
£90million well spent in the January window. Or £90m spent, anyway.
In fact, including the £25m blown on Joe Willock last summer, that’s around £115m – which is likely to see them finish in exactly the same position as 12 months ago.
Unfortunately for Howe, Newcastle’s owners cannot throw money at the situation forever.
The cartel of clubs running European football have rewritten the rules of the game, so there will be no investment unless it’s linked to revenue – and sponsorship deals are now being scrutinised to make sure that route to competitiveness is closed off.
Which leaves the Toon scratching around for players who can make a difference.
So can you think of a better target than Christian Eriksen?
There have already been stories linking the Denmark international with a move to the North East.
What box does it not tick?
The playmaker has completed his
six-month rehab at Brentford.
But we all know – and Thomas Frank would doubtless agree – that his compatriot’s skills deserve a bigger stage.
And they don’t come much better than St James’ Park.
Howe’s midfield needs an injection of vision and, at 30, the Dane still has it in him to provide the platform for growth the Tynesiders need.
I saw him make the difference in a nervous encounter in west London a few weeks ago when he carved out the opener for Ivan Toney (above) during the
Bees’ victory over
Burnley.
Last week,
Eriksen was pivotal again as West Ham warmed up for their historic trip to Lyon in time-honoured fashion, slumping to defeat.
His return to international football saw a scoring appearance for Denmark at the Parken Stadium last month.
Howe could throw a great contract at Eriksen. And he could supplement it with a big-money move for a topquality centre-half. How about Inter Milan’s Stefan de Vrij?
And an A-list spearhead to supplement it all… what about a return for Ivan Toney? The Magpies can play a bit of fantasy football, after all.
Toney could return to the North East as the main man – which would be a shame for Chris Wood – but the Kiwi’s got a £100,000 a week for the next few seasons to tide him over.
But the starting point should be the Dane – entwining one footballing fairy tale with another – yes, you’ve guessed it, the story of Hans Christian Eriksen.