Newcastle United must sign a winger in the summer transfer window.
It could be a long end to the season for the Magpies after selling their squad depth in the January transfer window.
Newcastle United sold Miguel Almiron and Lloyd Kelly to help their ongoing battle with PSR which forced them to sell young assets in the summer.
Toon boss Eddie Howe has already felt the impact of the January sales after Sven Botman and Dan Burn received injury setbacks. Kelly would have been the likely replacement for the pair before moving to Juventus.
- READ MORE – How the Newcastle United players have reacted after selling Miguel Almiron and Lloyd Kelly
Alex Murphy was another alternative for Howe – the 20-year-old has been in Newcastle’s matchday squads on occasion in the past 12 months but was loaned to Bolton Wanderers.
Almiron’s exit has left just Jacob Murphy as the only natural right-wing option in Newcastle’s first-team squad. Toon sporting director Paul Mitchell has the task of finding more bodies to cover that position.
With the summer transfer window still a few months away, Newcastle are monitoring a player who has been heavily linked with a move to Tyneside in recent months.
Newcastle keeping tabs on Johan Bakayoko
PSV Eindhoven winger Johan Bakayoko has been exceptional in all competitions so far this season, scoring 10 goals including two in the Champions League.
Bakayoko impressed against Liverpool, Newcastle’s Carabao Cup final opponents in January – his dribbling and defensive acumen were particular areas where he excelled in that game.
According to TuttoSport, Newcastle are closely monitoring Bakayoko like they were throughout the January transfer window.
The report claims that Serie A side Juventus wanted Bakayoko in the summer but were priced out of a deal by the Dutch side. The belief now is that Bakayoko rejected a new contract to force a move away in the summer.
The winger could cost clubs just £21m in the summer if his contract situation remains the same. Bakayoko has been likened to Allan Saint-Maximin, a former Newcastle winger, but is claimed to have “more end product” than the French star.
Newcastle would be signing a serial winner in Johan Bakayoko
While Newcastle are looking for a player who could add much more quality to the squad, Bakayoko would also join with experience of winning trophies.
At 21, the winger has already picked up five winners medals in three different competitions. Bakayoko has helped win PSV the Eredivisie, two Dutch cups and two Dutch super cups.
There aren’t many players within Howe’s squad that can boast about how many trophies they have won. Only the likes of Kieran Trippier and Sandro Tonali can claim they have won titles at other clubs before moving to Newcastle.
The Magpies are aiming to win trophies in the near future and signing the likes of Bakayoko will give them a huge boost in their efforts to do just that.
Newcastle can still win the domestic treble this season – they could win their first silverware since 1969 with a win over Liverpool at Wembley Stadium in March.
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