The summer transfer window is just weeks away.
Although Newcastle United are yet to know their finishing position and which UEFA competition that they will be playing in next season, the club will be planning their summer recruitment.
One trend that we have seen since the takeover is the willingness to sign players from relegated clubs, with the potential to get a bargain.
This season, the quality of the three relegated clubs is worse than previous years, but there is still talent there if you look hard enough. Below are four potential targets for us this summer.
Liam Delap – Ipswich Town
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Given the well publicised release clause at a reported £25m, Liam Delap will be attracting a lot of interest this summer. The striker has taken to Premier League football and has been one of the rare bright spots for Ipswich Town.
The former Manchester City player has a blend of strength, pace and relentless work rate, which are three qualities that will appeal to Eddie Howe. Despite links with the striker, it appears that we aren’t at the front of the queue, with many believing Manchester United are the frontrunners.
In the Premier League, he has contributed 11 goals and two assists in a poor Ipswich team. This underlines his potential, as he will develop into a better player in the coming years. Delap remains just 22 years old and a future England career seems a formality.
The striker has all the physical attributes that you need to succeed in the English top flight, while his aggression off the ball is perfect for a team that like to press high. He remains raw in some aspects, but the right coach could develop him into a Champions League calibre player.
The difficulty we will have this summer when recruiting strikers is the presence of Alexander Isak. It is unlikely that any new signing would be able to be a regular starter, with Howe using just one centre forward. Delap would get plenty of minutes if he moved to Tyneside, but he will have other clubs willing to offer more first team assurances.
Mateus Fernandes – Southampton
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Earlier this week, we reported that Mateus Fernandes is a potential summer target, especially if Sean Longstaff is sold. And I can see why.
Despite Southampton being an awful Premier League team, Fernandes has looked like he could compete at this level. Off the ball, he is an incredibly hard worker and he has a technical level that few of his team mates could match. He has struggled to show his attacking quality due to the poor results of his team, but he took his offside goal well against us at St Mary’s Stadium.
His defensive numbers stand out, perhaps unsurprisingly considering the match state he has often had to play in. Fernandes averages 2.84 tackles and 0.86 interceptions per ninety minutes, which rank him in the 98th and 96th percentiles among midfielders.
At the age of 20, Fernandes remains raw and needs further time to develop. His quality is obvious though and it is easy to see why we have been linked to him. Southampton will want to keep the midfielder, but he is one of the few in their current squad who could bring in a decent sized transfer fee. He could be a good project to invest in as a back up in midfield.
Bilal El Khannouss – Leicester City
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Similar to Fernandes, El Khannouss was signed as a potentially exciting player from the continent and the poor quality of his team has impacted on his ability to impress in England.
However, it is clear that he is an exciting young talent. Last season, he contributed three goals and six assists for Genk in the Belgian league. In the current campaign, the attacker has two goals and three assists.
It is difficult to stand out in a poor team and show your true level, but the most impressive aspect to his game has been his work rate. Like Fernandes, if you’re team is struggling to get the results, a high work rate underlines the attitude you have.
El Khannouss is an attacker who can play across the forward line and he has a low centre of gravity that helps him beat players. He has just turned 21 and could be a low cost addition to our squad. This summer, we need to add depth to the squad and signing players that Howe can develop is the way to go.
Kyle Walker-Peters – Southampton
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As mentioned above, we need to add more depth to our squad and one of the most attractive free agents on the market this summer will be Kyle Walker-Peters.
The full-back is comfortable playing on both sides of the defence and would add a quality option to Howe’s squad. Fulham have ben heavily linked in recent days, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if we have also looked at a potential deal.
This season, he has a pass accuracy of 88.2% showing how reliable he is in possession. Walker-Peters does take risks on the flanks, as shown by his average of 4.29 progressive passes (68th percentile) and 3.52 progressive carries (94th percentile).
Despite Southampton’s poor form, Walker-Peters is a proven Premier League player and his versatility would make him a good signing for any club with European football.
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