Four strikers who could replace Callum Wilson at Newcastle this summer
One of the most difficult tasks for Newcastle this summer is to recruit a striker. They will only have to do this if Callum Wilson goes. If we had European football, you wouldn't be able to rely on our current pair, but they should be able to get through a domestic season without both being out at the same time.
If Wilson does go, they will be looking to sign a striker who would join with the knowledge that they would be Alexander Isak's back up. The club probably wouldn't want to commit more than £25m for this, unless the forward signed could also play on the wing. That really does limit the potential options.
With that in mind, it is easy to see why the club may choose to keep Wilson. If they do make that choice, they may sign a teenage striker to be the third choice, but we won't cover these options today.
Below, we identify four possible striker targets.
Tammy Abraham - Roma
This writer believes Tammy Abraham could be the perfect solution for us this summer. It would be a case of buying the dip, after the England international recovered from a serious injury and played little for Roma.
However, the club have shown in the past that they are happy to go for this profile of player - Tino Livramento. Abraham would be a perfect signing for us, as he has a high ceiling and has a proven record of scoring goals in English football.
During his two years in Chelsea's team, he scored 21 goals at a rate of one every 155.1 minutes. That is an impressive record and it was somewhat surprising at how quickly they showed him the door. Abraham then followed that up with 17 goals in his first season in Serie A.
There are a lot of similarities between Wilson and Abraham, in that they are both mainly penalty box strikers. Abraham has a little more to his game and has more natural pace, which helps him get in behind defences. If he is available for the rumoured £15-25m, it would be a shrewd pick up.
Evanilson - Porto
There have been previous links to Evanilson in the past and it is easy to see why. He shares a lot of playing similarities with Isak and he is a hard worker in attack, which suits our high pressing style.
The Brazilian has high production in the final third, with an average of 0.45 non-penalty expected goals (xG) and 0.19 expected assisted goals (xAG). These place him in the 79th and 92nd percentiles respectively among forwards.
Evanilson is intelligent with the ball and retains it well for a player operating in the final third. His 78.7% pass success rate places him in the 94th percentile.
Although he hasn't really played there, Evanilson likes to pull over to the right side in the build up. This suggests he could potentially be coached to play as a right sided forward, which would suit our squad.
There is plenty to like about the Brazilian, but it would probably represent a greater investment and risk than Abraham.
Jonathan David - Lille
The Canadian has been spoken about in gossip columns for a long time. His versatility to be able to play across the forward line should appeal to top clubs. Ligue 1 is considered a good league for English clubs to recruit from as there are similarities between the leagues in their physicality.
Last season, he scored 19 goals, as he took his game to a new level for Lille. Although his shot volume was only 2.6 per ninety minutes, he seemed to generate good chances. This identifies his intelligence in the final third, as he priorities quality over quantity.
His non-penalty xG was 0.51 per ninety minutes, placing him in the 83rd percentile among forwards. David has a pass accuracy of 82%, which is excellent for a striker. Further to this, he can drop into pockets and play progressive passes with an average of 2.7 per ninety minutes.
David is very much a complete forward in the making and would be a near perfect stylistic match to Alexander Isak. Although he favours a central role, he could be used in a withdrawn role or on the flank as a wide forward. It would take a hefty investment, but he could be the perfect signing for us.
Brian Brobbey - Ajax
There is something to like about Brian Brobbey. Ajax have had a poor season, which has resulted in them falling down the league table. That could force them into sales this summer and Brobbey is a project that could be worth taking on.
Despite being 22 with a lot of domestic and international experience, he remains very raw. That can be seen in his playing style and finishing. However, he is a nightmare for defenders to deal with, due to his size, pace and power.
Last season, he scored 18 goals and added a further eight assists. Brobbey has come through at Ajax and has some excellent technical skills as a result. His average of 0.68 non-penalty xG and 0.23 xAG per ninety minutes. These are elite numbers, ranking in 99th and 97th percentiles respectively.
The one concern would be a low shot volume, but that is pushed up by his overall contribution in the final third. Brobbey averages 3.31 shot creating actions, showing how he can bring others into the game.
Physically he looks a perfect fit for English football. It can be a difficult transition from the Eredivisie, which is why a lesser squad role could appeal.
