Five realistic Newcastle transfer targets

Who could Magpies sign when takeover is complete?

Newcastle’s imminent takeover has propelled their supporters into dreamland.

While talks remain ongoing and nothing is official yet, many of their fans are already living out their Football Manager fantasies, with transfer speculation already in full flow as a Saudi-led consortium look set to buy the club.

It remains unclear when football will resume and how the transfer window will be affected, but that hasn’t stopped Philippe Coutinho, Edinson Cavani and even Kylian Mbappe being linked with a switch to St James’ Park.

But sadly, reality is a crueller mistress than a video game.

And while money certainly talks, for the majority of footballers it’s about much more than that.

Even without considering the implications of Financial Fair Play, convincing the likes of Mbappe and Coutinho to swap league titles and Champions League football to join a team currently 13th in the Premier League table would be a tough sell, regardless of the potential wages on offer.

So with that in mind, we’ve taken a look at some of the more realistic players Newcastle could target.

Jack Grealish

After a stunning season back in the Premier League, Grealish is expected to be highly sought after when the transfer window reopens, particularly if Aston Villa are relegated.

Manchester United and Tottenham have been linked in the past and they may well renew their interest. But with Grealish on the verge of an England call-up, he’s at a time in his career where he needs to continue playing every single week, which will not be guaranteed at one of the big boys.

As the joint-lowest scorers in the Premier League this season, Newcastle are crying out for some creativity and with seven goals and six assists in a struggling Villa side, Grealish seems like the ideal candidate to improve their end product.

Michy Batshuayi

Batshuayi has never been really given a fair chance at Chelsea and with Frank Lampard not keen, the Belgian desperately needs a fresh start to reignite his career.

Newcastle’s woes in front of goal have mainly been down to the misfiring Joelinton, who has flattered to deceive and has scored just once in the league since a record £40 million switch from Hoffenheim last summer.

One thing Batshuayi offers is goals and, as he proved on loan at Crystal Palace last season, he has the potential to be one of the deadliest strikers outside the top six when given a regular run in the team.

Nemanja Matic

Rewind a couple of seasons and Nemanja Matic was among the most feared defensive midfielders in the Premier League. He may have stagnated slightly at Old Trafford but his presence in the middle of the park is exactly what the Magpies need.

Newcastle have limited options in midfield and Matic would be a huge upgrade on Jonjo Shelvey, Isaac Hayden and Matt Longstaff.

The Serbian brings a wealth of experience, having won two Premier League titles at Chelsea, and his formidable defensive mindset would perfectly complement the wealth of creativity that will inevitably be brought into the squad.

Todd Cantwell

In a similar vein to Grealish, Cantwell will be a hot commodity and he’ll be even more attainable should Norwich go down.

The England under-21 international has shone for the Canaries despite them being rock bottom of the league and he’s attracted interest from table-toppers Liverpool.

But with the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah ahead of him in the pecking order if he were to make the switch to Anfield, a lack of first-team football could harm his development and a move to Newcastle would benefit both parties.

Nathan Ake

Newcastle need a centre-back and the latest rumours suggest interest in Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly.

It would likely take a bid to rival the world record fee Manchester United splashed out on Harry Maguire to tempt the Serie A side to sell and we can only see Koulibaly moving to a top European club if he did move on.

One alternative could be Ake, who has been pivotal for Bournemouth in recent seasons. The Dutchman has been linked with a return to Chelsea but after failing to establish himself at Stamford Bridge, it may be too much of a step up for now and a switch to Newcastle may be more realistic.

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