Newcastle United they will be hoping that their recent excellent run of form will ensure they have the best possible chance of a top four finish Premier League.
After he missed Champions League after the end of the league during 2023/24, Eddie Howe they won’t want that to happen again, especially after getting a taste of what Europe’s top club competition has to offer.
In order to achieve this, Howe will need to bolster his squad with several signings this month.
One area that is a priority is the offensive department. Alexander Isak enjoying an excellent campaign so far, scoring 17 goals and bagged five assists at the time of writing in all competitions.
However, should he suffer an injury, Howe doesn’t have many options to call upon, suggesting another striker is imperative.
On the other hand, signing a defender or two would also be a huge boost to Howe’s prospects of leading the club back to the promised land of the Champions League.
Several targets have recently been identified. The question is, will either of them secure a move to St James’ Park before the transfer window closes in a few weeks?
January transfers of Newcastle United
In recent days Newcastle is sent scouts to watch Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki wants to bring him to the North East this month.
In addition, The Toon sent in chief scout Steve Nickson to watch Brentford winger Bryan Mbeum in action against Manchester City during the 2-2 draw in midweek.
The Bees are demanding a fee of around £50m from any club to secure his signature, but will not entertain bids this month.
With Lloyd Kelly appearing as key transfer target for José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe of late, can Howe cash in on a player who only joined the club last summer? Making a solid profit in the process.
|
Five new signings from Newcastle in January |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
Club signed from |
Year |
|
Anthony Gordon |
Everton |
in 2023 |
|
Harrison Ashby |
West Ham |
in 2023 |
|
Bruno Guimaraes |
Lyon |
in 2022 |
|
Chris Wood |
Burnley |
in 2022 |
|
Dan Burn |
Brighton |
in 2022 |
If so, he will need to add another central defender to his squad before the end of the window. Can he turn to Portugal to find the perfect replacement?
Newcastle scouted the Sporting defender
Ousmane Diomande is a familiar name in the Newcastle support. The club tried to sign the central defender during the summer transfer window, but his £67m release clause it turned out to be too much, especially with the PSR rules.
However, can they get second time lucky? According to the Portuguese edition of A Bola (via Flash score), the Magpies have recently sent scouts to monitor his performances for Sporting.
Howe could face plenty of competition for the Ivory Coast international, with Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United all linked with a move.
Despite the high release clause, a offer between 50-60 million euros (£42m – £50m) could be accepted by the Portuguese side, either now or during the summer transfer window.
Howe may have to offload a player or two to make a move for Diomande happen, but given how impressive he has been for Sporting, it could indeed be money well spent.
Ousmane Diomande’s season in numbers for Sporting CP
The 21-year-old defender has he made a total of 25 appearances for his club this season, missing only one league game.
In the best league this season, Diomande has a pass rate of 94%.while also averaging 1.1 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and winning 64% of his total duels per game, showcasing his defensive abilities and wonderful passing skills.
Diomande also loses possession just 4.7 times per game for the club at home, which speaks to his ability to keep the ball for his side under pressure.
Adding this kind of quality to Newcastle’s squad would undoubtedly increase their chances of securing a top four finish, no doubt about it.
Not yet at his prime, Diomande is already showing the makings of a world-class centre-back, and could shine in the Premier League for the Magpies.
Not only that, but his attributes are quite similar to the Arsenal defender who has arguably been one of the best centre-backs in the English league over the past few seasons – William Saliba.
Ousmane Diomande can be Howe’s very own Saliba
The Frenchman has been a rock for Arsenal for years. He has this mandate in the Premier League won 61% of his total ground duels while losing possession only 5.1 times on average.
Analyst Ben Mattinson praised by Diomande last year after being linked with moves to Arsenal and Chelsea, saying: “The best you can get. There are other CBs that I like, but like many, I love Diomandes.
“What I like about Diomande is that in many ways he is a hybrid between Gabriel and Saliba. If you let him learn from them, he could become a monster in no time.”
According to FBref, it is Saliba the third largest comparable player for both Ivorians in the Champions League this season, proving that the pair are similar in terms of attributes and style of play.
Indeed, a couple also have registered similar statistics across a range of metrics in Europe’s premier club competition this season, including passing percentage (95% vs 93%), clearances (13 vs 20), touches in the defensive third (145 vs 181), aerial duels won (75% vs 81, 8%) and carries (239 vs. 216).
This statistic clearly shows that both players play the game the same way. Diomande is already showing qualities that could allow him to rise to the upper echelons of the game.
A move to Newcastle would give him a platform to showcase those talents in the Premier League and could be one of the final pieces of the puzzle for Howe as he looks to return to Europe next term.
A lot will depend on how much the manager has to spend this month, but this is the type of transfer the club needs to make to progress to the next level.
The next few weeks could be really interesting.
