Paul Mitchell is yet to make a major signing as Newcastle United sporting director.
However, that should change this summer. Newcastle United’s PSR position has improved, with the Magpies agreeing deals to sell Miguel Almiron and Lloyd Kelly.
Their departures will allow the club to invest in the summer, with Newcastle eyeing three signings.
Eddie Howe wants a right winger, a right-sided centre-back and a striker, and it will be up to Paul Mitchell to deliver them.
Newcastle United target Dean Huijsen transfer
With regards to a centre-back, the Magpies are aiming to land Fabian Schar’s long-term replacement.
Options are beginning to emerge, with Newcastle interested in Dean Huijsen at Bournemouth. The 19-year-old has been exceptional for the Cherries, and other clubs are taking notice.
Three Premier League clubs want Huijsen, with Liverpool and Chelsea set to challenge Newcastle United for the teenage defender’s signature.
Whoever does land Huijsen will have to pay a lofty price, with the centre-back boasting a £50million release clause in his Bournemouth contract.
Why Mitchell will have mixed feelings about Newcastle’s interest in Dean Huijsen
For £50million, Newcastle can sign Schar’s successor. It would be money well spent, as Huijsen looks ideal for the role.
He plays in a similar way, while the fact he is only 19 means that he could be the Magpies’ first choice centre-back for the next 10 years. And given his age, there is obviously scope for him to get even better.
In comparison, Newcastle were going to spend more on Marc Guehi last summer, who is 24-years-old. In that respect, getting Huijsen instead would be excellent business.
However, a deal would be bittersweet for Paul Mitchell, who will be well aware that the Magpies could have signed Huijsen on an even cheaper deal last summer.
Bournemouth bought Huijsen from Juventus for an initial £12.8million. It looked like a bargain at the time, and it has already proven to be exactly that.
Now the Cherries are on course to make a £37.2million profit – although you would assume they would rather retain the services of the talented wonderkid.
The deal that Bournemouth did last season is the type of transfer that Paul Mitchell wants Newcastle United to complete. In the world of PSR, the Magpies need to be ahead of the curve and sign these players before they properly hit their potential.
Of course, Huijsen still has a long way to go, but he is already playing so well that a £50million deal does not feel over the top. And it would be money well spent, given the longevity that he can provide.
But it could have been an even cheaper deal had Newcastle been willing to take a risk in the summer of 2024.
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