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Predicting Newcastle’s Future In The Premier League – A Mid-table Finish Right Below The Top 6?

Newcastle United

How Would Newcastle United Fare In The Premier League Next Season

Just how well would Newcastle United do in the Premier League next season?  It’s a difficult one to answer as commentators and fans seem to have very disparate views this time. Some claim that without significant investment, the club could go back down while others feel that the right signings can put Newcastle straight into the top 6.

Their track record as a club is impressive in this regard. Upon promotion to the new Premier League back in 1993, they immediately reached a top 3 finish despite losing the first 2 games of the season. Kevin Keegan’s ‘entertainers’ went on to challenge for the league title after that and the club was put on a sound footing.

Relegation came calling again in 2009 though, but after an immediate promotion in 2010, the club secured a mid-table finish before ending the following season in 5th place and securing European football. The reason for this is the size of the club and its huge fan base. Good players will always be attracted to Newcastle as long as they have the money to buy them.

Knowing what sort of season they’ll have next year though is a hard thing to predict. Their total market value (value of players) puts them somewhere around 13th – 15th versus the current Premier League sides, though players in the Championship, especially young ones, are notoriously undervalued compared to their peers in the Premier League.  With this in mind, Newcastle’s current squad probably sits around 12th at a similar level to Stoke City’s.

This may give you an idea of the challenges ahead. Yes, it looks as though they will not be relegation candidates. However, Rafa Benitez wants to waste no time in reaching the very top and so his current squad needs a major overhaul and fast.

That being the case, even expecting some good amount of money to be invested, one would have to factor in player sales and the true quality of those who are attracted to the prospect of working for Rafael Benitez. One can probably add £100M-£120m onto the club’s current squad value. Doing this would potentially put them 7th, i.e. ‘best of the rest’ after Chelsea, Tottenham, Man City, Liverpool, Man United and Arsenal.

Maybe this sounds optimistic but long gone are the days of going up and challenging for the top 2 or 3 immediately. However, make no mistake that Benitez is a man on a mission and despite the doom and gloom merchants spouting their venom, funds will be made available to make his vision a reality.