Chelsea defeat proved why Newcastle need ‘excellent’ player more than ever as January transfer window looms

Add as preferred source on Google

As every game passes, Newcastle United’s summer transfer failings become more and more apparent.

The Magpies’ squad was not enhanced in the summer. Eddie Howe was not backed by the Newcastle United board.

Major signings did not arrive, and that is a key reason why Newcastle United are struggling.

Paul Mitchell will soon be able to try and change that, with the January transfer window edging closer. It has been reported that Newcastle’s priority is to sign a right winger, after the centre-back search took centre stage over the summer.

However, perhaps Newcastle need to reassess what they need the most in 2025.

Newcastle clearly need another centre-back

It is obvious that Newcastle need to sign a winger. The Magpies lack quality on the right, with neither Jacob Murphy or Miguel Almiron proving why they should start.

Meanwhile, Harvey Barnes failed to prove against Chelsea that he should start on the left and force Eddie Howe to play Anthony Gordon on the right.

However, the Magpies’ performance also further proved that a centre-back should still be a priority.

Fabian Schar was rash, while Dan Burn‘s lack of pace was exploited on numerous occasions.

While Schar and Burn have played well, it is clear to see why Eddie Howe was so desperate to bring Marc Guehi to St James’ Park.

And while Schar and Burn were failing to prove that Newcastle do not need another centre-back, Guehi was putting in another strong performance as he continues to re-find his feet after a slow start to the season.

Marc Guehi praised for Crystal Palace performance

As Newcastle were losing to Chelsea, Crystal Palace were picking up their first win of the season.

They kept a clean sheet as they beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0, with captain Guehi leading his side to victory.

The 24-year-old caught the eye of Troy Deeney with his performance, as the former striker included Guehi in his BBC Sport team of the week.

On Guehi, Deeney wrote: “He was excellent again. A very good captain’s performance, very calm and very measured. He didn’t really allow Tottenham too much. He had a great performance considering how much pressure was on them to win a game.”

The England international is starting to impress again, after Guehi endured a tough start to the season. He even admitted that he was not playing very well, as he struggled to prove why Newcastle were asked to pay £75million for him.

He will not command that big of a fee in January, but it is still very evident that Newcastle could massively benefit from having him in their squad.

While Newcastle are aiming to sign a winger in January, there is also every chance that they could make a fresh move for Guehi. Crystal Palace are resigned to losing Guehi in 2025, and Howe will be keen to ensure he heads to Tyneside.

That could create an issue, as it has been claimed that Newcastle will not be able to sign Guehi and a winger due to financial reasons.