Newcastle United look set to continue their ambitious squad rebuild in January, with PIF backed to move for one of Europe’s rising stars.
The Magpies are undergoing a major transition under Matthias Jaissle, who inherited a vastly different squad following a summer of significant changes at St James’ Park.
Experienced stars Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon were among those to depart, with Newcastle instead focusing on recruiting younger players capable of developing into key figures over the coming years.
The likes of Sean Steur, Aladji Bamba and Bazoumana Toure have arrived as part of that strategy, although supporters have been warned that patience will be required as Jaissle attempts to build a competitive side.
The Newcastle boss has himself acknowledged that his young squad needs time to develop, insisting he will continue to support his players through a difficult period.
“We knew we had a young squad and knew they needed time, we will give them that time.” – Matthias Jaissle.
Newcastle’s emphasis on youth could also influence their approach to the January transfer window, with football finance expert Stefan Borson suggesting another major spending spree is unlikely.
Speaking to Football Insider, the former Manchester City financial adviser questioned how much room the Magpies have to manoeuvre financially.
“I suspect they don’t have huge capacity. They might have some capacity in January, but they’ve obviously gone down a strategic direction of young players,” Borson said.
“And so, if they sign more young players in January, these sorts of 21-year-olds, Newcastle fans are still going to have to wait. So I think it’s just about being patient and watching how things balance out over time.
“The league’s all over the place anyway in terms of who’s beating who, and it still needs that sort of shake-up. We’re still very, very, early days.”
While Newcastle may be reluctant to spend heavily on established stars, they could still be tempted to make a significant investment in another emerging talent.
Newcastle could make huge offer for Issa Doumbia
According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, via Sport Witness, Newcastle are interested in Sporting CP midfielder Issa Doumbia, having failed to secure his signature during the summer.
The Magpies were among several clubs pursuing the Italian midfielder before he completed a €20m (£17m) move from Venezia to Sporting in July, with a further €6m potentially payable in bonuses.
Doumbia has continued to attract attention since arriving in Portugal, with Newcastle, Brentford, Juventus and Roma all reportedly monitoring his progress. And while Sporting are reluctant to lose the youngster midway through the campaign, they could be persuaded to sanction a January departure if they receive an “irresistible offer”.
A Bola specifically identifies Newcastle and Juventus as the clubs capable of submitting suitable proposals.
Doumbia, who impressed with ten goals and six assists as Venezia secured promotion to Serie A last season, has already made an impact at Sporting, scoring once and providing an assist in his opening ten appearances.
The midfielder is under contract until 2031 and has an €80m (£69m) release clause, although Transfermarkt currently values him at €20m (£17m).
Sporting have not disclosed what fee they would demand in January, but their determination to keep Doumbia means Newcastle would likely need to make a substantial offer to tempt them into negotiations.
For Jaissle, the 23-year-old would represent another exciting addition to Newcastle’s long-term project, although it remains to be seen whether PIF are prepared to sanction the kind of investment required to bring him to St James’ Park.
Source: www.footballfancast.com
