Former Newcastle United boss Ruud Gullit was on pundit duty for BeIN sport for the Newcastle clash with Wolves and at full-time he shared his opinion on what the club need to do in the transfer window.
Speaking to Richard Keys and Andy Gray at full time on BeIN Sport, Ruud Gullit suggested that Newcastle need quality going forward, saying: “They need quality. “Not in every position.
“They need to recruit wisely. And I think they can do that, the most important thing they need, nowadays you need to run and put pressure on the opposition. They need to find these players.”
Newcastle aren’t going to attract Kane or Mbappe
Gullit conceded that Eddie Howe‘s Magpies are still some way off signing the likes of Harry Kane or Kylian Mbappe but that’s not to say that we can’t attract quality players to the project that Amanda Staveley and the PIF have started.
Although Ruud Gullit may not be the most popular figure on Tyneside after his brief tenure at the helm at St James’ Park, it’s hard to disagree with what he said here.
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We certainly aren’t lacking cover for every position, for instance, we’ve got the goalkeeping position pretty sewn up as it stands. And while an extra striker certainly wouldn’t go amiss, we do have Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson potentially backed up by Garang Kuol next season should Howe decide to keep him around instead of loaning him out.
Howe needs quality and intensity
It’s in the middle of the park that will be the main focus this summer, along with some cover for each defensive position while also be on the list.
Eddie Howe introduced the high intensity press style of play to Newcastle so anyone that Dan Ashworth’s scouts will be casting their eye over will have to be comfortable playing that style, like Gullit alluded to.
Not every player has that relentless energy that Joe Willock, Miguel Almiron and Isak have shown this season so finding more players with that kind of engine capable to sustain Howe’s style of playing will not be easy.
It’s not as if the Newcastle boss will be likely to change the way he wants the team to play to suit one particular player. After all, “intensity is our identity“.