Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe
could crank things up to a scary level in the Premier League if they can pull off a deal for Hugo Ekitike.
It is a transfer that works on a number of fronts for the Magpies. They would not only be landing a genuine star of Europe, but also laying down a marker to their own ambitious squad members such as Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak while also sending out a message to the rest of the Premier League.
to be ambitious in the market is ringing true and the arrival of a player like Ekitike would ensure Newcastle would kick off the season with a frightening new forward line. They already boast Isak, of course, .
With Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes battling it out on the left, and Jacob Murphy set to start pre-season with a big challenge to get past Elanga, Newcastle are suddenly blessed with attacking talent.
If Newcastle can pull off the capture of 23-year-old Ekitike, it would offer head coach Eddie Howe the option of playing a front two with the Frenchman and Isak together.
Add in two exciting wingers and it would almost be a throwback to the 1990s when Kevin Keegan, at one stage, had Alan Shearer, Les Ferdinand, David Ginola and Keith Gillespie all at his disposal, plus Peter Beardsley and Tino Asprilla!
That set of attacking stars was sadly shortlived as Keegan left and Kenny Dalglish dismantled the Entertainers when trying to opt for a pragmatic approach. But Howe can thrill the Toon Army with a strike force that the likes of Shearer and Keegan will approve of.
Howe has always wanted to attack and his 4-3-3 system has been a common theme of his time at United.
When stars like Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak were missing in the 2023/24 season he rued their absence, saying: "To have the attacking options we feel we need to change the game, that's not there for us and that's a big miss. There are some quality players, outstanding players that aren't with us at the moment."
But there's no doubt that Newcastle could soon be on the brink of some game changing options. Howe's dream team is certainly taking shape and it's little wonder fans are just delighted by the fact that the backroom staff are giving it their all to produce a side they can be proud of again.
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