Newcastle could make big mistake by signing £40m midfielder, he wouldn’t suit Bruno

Add as preferred source on Google

If there’s one area Newcastle United are looking particularly light in, it’s midfield.

Only Bruno Guimaraes has arrived in that position since the takeover, albeit the rebirth of Joelinton has given Eddie Howe another option there in that period.

Still, few would suggest that the midfield ranks are blessed with a huge amount of depth, with the January exit of Jonjo Shelvey limiting them even further.

With that in mind, plenty of names have been linked. The Athletic have previously tipped Ajax’s Edson Alvarez as a potential target way back in September, while Bristol City’s young sensation Alex Scott has more recently been linked with a move to Tyneside by Football Insider.

Still, Conor Gallagher is the name that refuses to go away. The Evening Standard claim Newcastle hold a long-standing interest in the £40m-rated Chelsea midfielder, who was also linked by the Daily Telegraph over the course of the January transfer window.

That, however, may not be a good idea.

Why Newcastle should steer clear of Conor Gallagher

Now, that is not because Gallagher is a bad player by any means.

An England international to have excelled at Crystal Palace last season, the 23-year-old has been talked up for his boundless energy.

Still, Gallagher does not exactly fit the profile to help unleash Newcastle’s star player, Guimaraes.

Injuries and a lack of options have forced the Brazilian to operate in a deeper role this season, though he remains Newcastle’s highest scoring midfielder with three goals. In his first six months or so, however, Guimaraes bagged five times in just 11 Premier League starts, with Shelvey occupying the traditional No.6 position.

Quite where Gallagher would fit in that remains unclear. While clearly a talented midfielder himself, the Chelsea academy graduate has generally played as a box-to-box player during his career, a position Guimaraes is keen to get back to.

He has already spoken of his desire to play further forward and, frankly, it would seem bizarre to limit him to playing further back by signing another player in his kind of position. A specialist option there would surely be a better use of funds, particularly if FFP concerns continue to linger.

Gallagher would not necessarily be a bad signing for Newcastle but, to get the most out of Guimaraes, he hardly seems like the right option.