Newcastle United needs to have a rock-solid transfer strategy in place before the summer transfer window rolls around to avoid another disaster like last year.
With Ross Wilson on board, we should already be in a better place, planning-wise, going into the window, and it does seem that there’s a strategy forming. That’s already a better start than last year.
Nothing is concrete yet, but there have been a few mentions of areas the club are looking to improve in the summer. Striker and goalkeeper are two positions that have been mentioned by a few different sources when discussing potential transfer targets.
Keith Downie has become the latest journalist to confirm that both areas will be high priorities for Newcastle heading into a vital summer window.
Writing in his latest piece for Sky Sports, Keith Downie reports that there could be as many as EIGHT changes to the squad this summer, with moves for a new strikes and goalkeeper prioritised.
Despite a £124m spend on Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, work is already underway to find another suitable option for an attack that’s still missing Alexander Isak.
In goal, a new No.1 will also be targeted as part of a ‘summer shake-up’, with Eddie Howe and sporting director Ross Wilson set to be handed the opportunity to put right the mistakes of 2025.
That’s clearly not good news for Aaron Ramsdale, who is on loan from Southampton, with the England keeper looking increasingly likely to return to St Mary’s.
There has been nothing to suggest that signing a new striker will have any effect on Wissa and Woltemade’s places in the squad, but at the same time, we’d imagine that if a suitable offer were to come in for either of them, they would be considered.
After spending £124 million on two strikers last summer, it really shows just how much the club feels mistakes were made that they are looking to bring in another striker so soon.
We keep saying that a decent pre-season can dramatically change the fortunes of both Wissa and Woltemade, but at the same time, it would be a huge risk to go into another season with just those strikers to rely on after this season.
Lessons must be learned from last year’s panic buying. While there were mitigating circumstances, with Paul Mitchell resigning just weeks before the window opened and hanging around until after it was already underway, there can be no excuses this time around.