Two Players Newcastle United Should Sign To Achieve A Top-10 Finish
Newcastle United, after a nervy start to their Premier League campaign, have managed to steady the ship and have recorded three consecutive victories that sees them in the ninth place in the table, with nine points from six games, following their 1-0 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion earlier today.
There was a lot being written about the poor transfer window that the Magpies had to go through, with their owner Mike Ashley not completely backing the manager, Rafael Benitez, in the market. This led to rumours of an exit from the club for the Spaniard, but the former Liverpool and Real Madrid boss stayed put and has turned things around to an extent already.
However, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Benitez look to add a couple more players in the January transfer window, if Newcastle are to stay up and about near the top-half of the table, on their return to the Premier League this season.
And here are two players who could help them achieve as much, if brought in, in the winter transfer window;
Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)
The injury-prone 25-year old Englishman finds himself on the fringes in the Arsenal squad and given that he has under a year left on his current contract with the club, it wouldn’t be a much of a surprise to see him leave in January.
Wilshere may not have played a whole lot for the Gunners this season, but impressed heavily in the Carabao Cup game against Doncaster Rovers and had a fairly decent substitute appearance against FC Koln in the UEFA Europa League. Injuries may have hampered his development, but the England international showed he still has the quality to make a difference for any team.
Newcastle don’t really possess a central midfielder who can offer the same level of creativity that Wilshere can bring to the table. The central midfield spots seem to be sealed by Mikel Merino and Isaac Hayden as of now, with Jonjo Shelvey and Mo Diame waiting in the wings. However, Wilshere will be able to bring in much more quality and his ability to unlock defences could prove to be a clincher in the second-half of the season.
https://youtu.be/Ya3zVShKe0Y
Matt Targett (Southampton)
The young English left-back was reportedly a summer target for the Magpies, who were willing to bring him on a season-long loan deal, but could not get a move pushed through. However, given the shortage of specialist options at left-back, this is something that Benitez might look to revisit in January.
First-choice left-back Paul Dummett is out injured since the season opener against Tottenham Hotspur and unwanted defender Massadio Haidara too is out with a knee injury and given that his contract is set to expire in the summer, it is unlikely he will be used a lot. While Chancel Mbemba has done fairly well in the makeshift position, a specialist in the left-back slot would bring much more to the squad.
Targett is currently behind Ryan Bertrand and Sam McQueen in the pecking order at the South Coast club and would appreciate a loan move to get some playing time under his belt. He has played 40 times for the Saints, registering 3 assists and has been capped at all youth levels for the England national team. The 22-year old has good potential and could prove to be a smart addition to the squad.