I recently put a post out on our NUFCBlog Twitter (or X) account, asking fans to comment with a realistic signing they’d like to see at Newcastle United this summer.
It’s early days – we still have seven games left of the 2023/24 season and also have a new sporting director to appoint first following Dan Ashworth’s exit – but there’s no doubt that this will be a huge summer for the club.
We got almost 300 responses, featuring a few unrealistic shouts, but the following names cropped up in five key areas we are likely to strengthen this summer:
STRIKERS: Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig), Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen), Joao Pedro (Brighton), Viktor Gyökeres (Sporting Lisbon), Loïs Openda (RB Leipzig), Evan Ferguson (Brighton), Matheus Cunha (Wolves), Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth), Ivan Toney (Brentford), Serhou Guirassy (Stuttgart), Jonathan David (Lille).
RIGHT WINGERS: Pedro Neto (Wolves), Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford), Michael Olise (Crystal Palace) Raphinha (Barcelona), Marcus Edwards (Sporting Lisbon), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad), Johan Bakayoko (PSV), Anthony Elanga (Nottingham Forest), Ferran Torres (Barcelona), Xavi Simons (PSG), Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen), Karim Adeyemi (Borussia Dortmund), Luca Koleosho (Burnley), Crysencio Summerville (Leeds), Yéremy Pino (Villareal), Nicolas Gonzalez (Fiorentina), Roony Bardghji (Copenhagen), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli), Mohammed Kudus (West Ham).
MIDFIELDERS: Mikel Merino (Real Sociedad), Joao Palhinha (Fulham), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Manu Kone (Borussia Monchengladbach), Khephren Thuram (Nice), Amadou Onana (Everton), Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta), Maxence Caqueret (Lyon), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Romeo Lavia (Chelsea), Ederson (Atalanta), Martín Zubimendi (Real Sociedad), Pedro Goncalves (Sporting Lisbon), Federico Redondo (Argentinos Juniors), Scott McTominay (Man Utd), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Youssouf Fofana (Monaco).
LEFT-BACKS: Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Pervis Estupinian (Brighton), Lloyd Kelly (Bournemouth), Rico Henry (Brentford), Álex Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen), Fran Garcia (Real Madrid), Federico Dimarco (Inter Milan), Rayan Ait-Nouri (Wolves), Aaron Hickey (Brentford), Piero Hincapié (Bayer Leverkusen).
CENTRE-BACKS: Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Antonio Silva (Benfica), Malick Thiaw (AC Milan), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan), Odilon Kossounou (Bayer Leverkusen), Mathis de Ligt (Bayern Munich), Maxence Lacroix (Wolfsburg), Evan Ndicka (Roma), Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting Lisbon), Jean-Clair Todibo (Nice), Illia Zabarnyi (Bournemouth), Tosin Adarabioyo (Fulham), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace).
If you had to pick one player from each of the five sections, who are you taking? Let us know in the comments below.
Last summer, my dream signings to fill specific gaps in our team were Tierney, Maddison and Paulinho. 2 of them would still be available this summer and I think we should go for them. But a DM, any DM, is imperative to allow Bruno to play further forward and create.
A(Quote)
My picks would be CF – Vicktor Gyokeres. RWF – Jarrod Bowen (never gonna happen but he on the right & Gordon left would give great balance & their workrate is phenomenal).
For CM – a name not on the list – Hojberg from Spurs. I think he’d bring a steel to our midfield and as a natural no. 6 would sit & allow Bruno & Joelinton to be more offensive – they will obviously be up & down but could go knowing he’s there. He’d be a low fee I reckon & would be ideal to cover Tonalis absence – who you’d expect would be main choice eventually.
LB – Kelly. He’s a good player who offers versatility for LB & LCB which work having Target & Hall there for the LB spot and of course Burn in the mix too – that would give plenty of cover for our left side of defence.
CB – would be Tosin. I think there is better option in the list, but I do believe he’s a very good player & would improve our squad. The big draw is obviously he’s a free agent like Kelly.
I expect Gyokeres could cost around £70-80m.
Bowen could be £60-70m if WHU were willing to let him go – but I just don’t see it – plus I think he’s loving WHU. Football wise he’s getting more there at this present moment (as much as I hate saying it). But as this is my Footy manager he’s coming 😂.
I think we could get Hojberg for £12-15m. I know he won’t inspire but I think he does a key job for us over the next few years – inexpensive & we can upgrade in future windows.
Kelly & Tosin free.
That’s around £185m on fees. I think that is good money spent & shouldn’t breach FFP 🤞🏼.
Incidentally, coupled with those incomings I’d be looking to sell Longstaff, Miggy & Wilson – whilst releasing the likes of Ritchie and Dummett.
That would maybe raise £30-40m in outgoing transfers & free up some wages.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I think one that was missed from forwards is Santiago Gimenez from Feyenord.
Think Tosin at CB is a shout for free and knows the league.
LB is a buggers muddle – one min it’s the most desperate position on the pitch the BDB moves to CB and looks great and Lewis hall/tino look great out there
CM – love Morgan Gibbs white but we need an Ederson Type in at No 6
RW – am I alone in thinking we should scrap what we have and start again? Marcus Edwards AND Roony Barghji fit the profile for different reasons
Darren jeory(Quote)
I Think that if calum is leaving we need two strikers. Gimenez from Feyenoord an out and out CF and Marmoush from Frankfurt who can play our wide as well.
RW there are several to choose from and with Minteh coming through I think it’s between Goncalves (25) from sporting or Bakayoko (20) from PSV
CM with seven first team CMs I don’t see the need for one. But if we are selling then a progressive 6 in the mold of Bruno then Veerman from PSV is a shout.
I would get Kelly and Tosin as free CBs LCB and RCB. If foer any reason we cant get one of them then young Dean Huijsen would be good. Full Backs are good especially if we get Kelly.
PremAndUp(Quote)
I would love to see Solanke on tine side,very experienced premier league striker coming to his prime. Raphina would be great.Tomori solid cb.Lloyd Kelly as he would be reasonable price maybe free transfer a steal and finally jaoa palinaha in midfield.
D(Quote)
Gherioussy has torn up bundesliga with all sorts of goals and still has a 15m clause do for ffp he’s a no brainer.
There a few RW that would cost daft money on there but I’d like Mbuemo kubo or Nico Williams of the ones that wouldn’t cost mental cash.
Because of the potential free agent Rabbiot in midfield makes sense although I’d love to see ederson or zubimendi.
Lloyd Kelly offers value at left back and would let Hall get more games . Grimaldi would be the shout but his price is through the roof now. Id love to see dimarco play for us.
Todibo and Ignacio id love to see or one of them along with maybe Tosin on a free…..we need 2 CB this summer, maybe another reason why we might got for Lloyd Kelly.
Dean Thomas mcallister(Quote)
From the list provided, my first choice in each category would be Sesko, Bowen, Koopmeiners, Grimaldo and Inacio
Alan Gauld(Quote)
I think we should take a look at Morgan Whittaker
Jacky Lam(Quote)