Newcastle United have been linked with a statement signing up front.
Though the PIF era at Newcastle has so far not been defined by superstar signings, it remains unclear as to how long that will last.
At some point, if the club are going to keep competing in the Premier League and Champions League, perhaps they will need to turn to that type of signing.
Indeed, it has been something Gary Neville has suggested the club need.
After all, just because you make a huge signing, it doesn’t mean a club is throwing all the good work they’ve done in the transfer market away. Manchester City, after all, don’t always sign the biggest names but spending £100m on Jack Grealish and then bringing Erling Haaland to the club propelled them to the treble.
Clearly, Newcastle are not as far along as City in their development but the precedent has been set.
Which is why links to Victor Osimhen are particularly interesting.
Victor Osimhen: Newcastle target wants Chelsea transfer
The Nigerian forward has been linked with a major money move to St James’ Park after firing Napoli to the Serie A title.
With Callum Wilson ageing, a move for a striker would make sense, with Alexander Isak not without injuries of his own.
Still, it seems Osimhen has eyes on another move.
According to The Standard, Chelsea have been encouraged in their pursuit of the £100m-rated 24-year-old.
For their part, Napoli are unlikely to sell in January but could do so this summer.
Victor Osimhen: A summer too early for Newcastle transfer?
Qualifying for the Champions League again is now looking unlikely for Newcastle. Chelsea might be in a similar position but they have constantly pulled off big deals despite not playing in Europe’s elite club competition.
Though there is a lot of football still to play, Eddie Howe’s side trail fourth-placed Tottenham by six points all while dealing with a mounting injury crisis.
With that in mind, it seems hard to imagine Newcastle paying £100m for a player just yet. Potentially without Champions League revenue, making a major departure from what they’ve done thus far does not feel particularly likely.
Hailed as “better than [Erling] Haaland” by his agent, Osimhen will have his pick of clubs this summer.
With Newcastle still at a relatively early stage of this new era, it might be a year or so too soon for that kind of deal.
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