Newcastle United’s nightmare summer transfer window continues, and they need to get some business done
Newcastle United have endured a frustrating summer on the recruitment front. Eddie Howe’s side have found it hard to compete with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal for targets and have been left disappointed in numerous pursuits. Nevertheless, they still have plenty of time to find alternative options.
The transfer window shuts on Monday 1st September at a slightly earlier time of 7pm this year. That means teams up and down the country still have a few more weeks to conclude any final bits of incoming and outgoing bits of business. The Toon Army start the new Premier League season with an away trip to Villa Park to face Aston Villa on 16th August.
Newcastle United should hijack Tottenham Hotspur swoop for Rafael Leao
Like Newcastle, Tottenham Hotspur are preparing for life back in the Champions League. The London outfit qualified after beating United in the Europa League final in May in Bilbao. They subsequently sacked Ange Postecoglu and replaced him with Thomas Frank.
As per GiveMeSport, Spurs have been ‘offered’ the chance to sign AC Milan striker Rafael Leao. He is valued by his club at around £61m, according to reports from Football Italia, and is facing an uncertain future at the San Siro. It remains to be seen whether he will stay in Italy and Howe should look at making a move for him.
Leao, 26, would fit the bill for the Magpies if they managed to get him. He has been on the books of his current club since joining them back in 2019 and would now benefit from a new challenge and change of scene. The Portugal international, who has 40 caps under his belt, has made 260 appearances in all competitions since his switch to Serie A and has scored 70, 12 of which came in the last campaign.
The Almada-born man can also play on the wing as well as down the middle if needed which is useful. He started his career at Sporting Lisbon and rose up through their academy ranks. He was a regular for the Portuguese giants at various different youth levels before breaking into their first-team as a youngster after catching the eye with their B team.
Leao moved over to France in 2018 and was snapped up by Lille. He was a hit during his days in Ligue 1 and found the net on eight occasions in 26 outings before heading out the exit door. He should now test himself in England and show what he can do.
Why Rafael Leao would suit Newcastle United
Newcastle are crying out for some more firepower at the top end of the pitch. They need a new number nine and Leao would be a shrewd acquisition. He has proved that he can score goals at the top level and the fact he has been offered to Spurs by AC Milan suggests that he is out of favour.
If he joined the Toon Army, he would give them more competition in attack. He would also give Howe another versatile option to pick from in attack. They will have more fixtures coming their way next term after getting into Europe and must have sufficient depth at their disposal.
Despite the fact they haven’t been able to do the business they would have wanted to since the end of last season in terms of transfers, things aren’t all doom and gloom for Newcastle. Their fans can still look forward to some European nights under the lights and locking horns with some elite teams. In addition, Anthony Elanga is an eye-catching addition from Nottingham Forest and is someone capable of getting fans off their seats.
Aston Villa away will be a tricky first outing for Howe’s men and they will need to be at their best to get something. If they can sign someone of Leao’s calibre before they head to the Midlands, that would give their supporters a boost. They may need to fend off competition from Spurs and potentially others if they were to secure his services though.
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