IMAGINE HIM & GORDON: NEWCASTLE BATTLING BAYERN MUNICH TO SIGN 42M TALENT
Since the takeover by the Saudi PIF back in 2021, Newcastle United have conducted excellent business in the transfer market that has seen the club transform from relegation candidates to European hopefuls.
Eddie Howe, the man at the helm for the Magpies, has done an excellent job in creating a settled side with all the investment, with the vast majority of the signings making a huge impact at St James’ Park.
Alexander Isak has undoubtedly been the best addition out of the bunch, scoring 35 times in his 67 appearances for the club since his £63m move to Tyneside from Real Sociedad.
Anthony Gordon has also excelled since his big-money move to St James’ Park, with his figure of 21 goal contributions catching the eye of Chelsea in particular who have registered interest in the winger already this summer.
However, the club are lacking that third option in the frontline to really push the Magpies back towards the Champions League places, but their hunt may be coming to an end, with the club identifying one player who could fill the void.
Newcastle battling PL rivals to sign 42m youngster
According to German outlet Sport Bild, Newcastle are interested in signing Mainz right-winger Brajan Gruda who could be available for €50m (£42m) this summer.
Fellow Premier League side Aston Villa are also said to be interested in signing the 20-year-old, with Bundesliga outfits RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich also in the race to secure his signature.
The interest in the youngster is hardly a surprise, given his record of four goals and three assists in his 19 league starts last season, but the report states he wants to move to a side where he can guarantee regular first-team minutes.
Miguel Almiron has been the club’s most senior right-hand option in recent years, but with his future up in the air, the Magpies could sign Gruda who has the ability to solve the club’s issues.
Why Gruda would be the perfect player alongside Gordon
With Gruda being predominantly a right-sided attacker, he would be brought in to play alongside the wanted Gordon and replace the Paraguayan who could be set for a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia if reports are to be believed.
His addition would undoubtedly improve the forward line, providing an upgrade on Almiron whilst potentially able to form a deadly partnership with fellow winger Gordon.
During the 2023/24 campaign, Gruda - who is said to possess a "monstrous" left foot by analyst Ben Mattinson - dominated Almiron in numerous key areas. That included goals and assists despite featuring in five fewer matches than the 30-year-old.
The “superb” talent as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has also dominated with his progressive carries, completing 22 more than the current Magpies attacker - a tally that would create more frequent opportunities for Isak and Gordon should he arrive on Tyneside.
| How Almiron & Gruda compare in 2023/24 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Statistics | Almiron | Gruda |
| Games | 33 | 28 |
| Goals & assists | 4 | 7 |
| Percentage of shots on target | 29% | 40% |
| Take-ons completed | 44% | 47% |
| Progressive carries | 78 | 100 |
| Goals & assists per 90 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Stats via FBref |
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent's goal at least ten yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
Gruda has also completed 3% more of the take-ons he attempted last campaign, providing more of an end product - contributing double the number of goals and assists per 90.
He may be a costly addition to Howe’s side, but he’s demonstrated key qualities that could improve his Newcastle side despite his tender age.
With the German only breaking through into professional football over the past couple of years, he’s still finding his feet, but the sky is the limit for the talented youngster with Newcastle potentially able to sign a long-term replacement for the right-wing position.
Newcastle must consider selling Howe favourite who's worth more than Minteh
The club are still looking to offload players despite the passing of the PSR deadline.
