NEWCASTLE'S NEW CASTLE:
The January Transfer Window at the Toon
Did anyone catch Newcastle United’s defeat to Manchester City? No. A West Ham-Manchester City it is not. That a North-East loss was expected is not a gross overstatement. But still. The gulf between the teams in the recent Gulf derby? Vast. But perhaps not as vast as hyperbole (or Sky) would like to believe. Eddie Howe has asserted his need for long-term planning, with 21/22 as the bedrock for a sustainable future. The January transfer window is pivotal – one must first forge a bed out of rock before building upon bedrock. Below, orangesaint. takes a gander at the players who could potentially stave off relegation if Geordie Shore comes calling:
JAMES TARKOWSKI
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Right, Newcastle are a good side, but Allan St. Maximin can’t be everywhere, even though he tries. It’s just the defence, midfield and attack that need urgent surgeries. And while Niklas Süle, Alessio Romangoli and Jason Denayer are mint (and nearing the end of their contracts), they have no pressing reason to leave the Champions League and try proving themselves on a cold, windy night in Newcastle. James Tarkowski does. Schooled in the dark arts at Brentford and Burnley, the vertically unchallenged defender should be seeking a new challenge, on a new contract. Newcastle desperately need a defender who can do that most arduous of things – defend. Tarkowski will command the authority necessary to not let the back four switch off (that fatal flaw killed them off against City) and, as importantly, know when to step forward and when to stay back.
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JESSE LINGARD
In claiming that Houssem Aouar is not coming to Newcastle, orangesaint. is betting our entire fortune on white (in that if Real Madrid want you, you want Real Madrid). Only West Ham are after Jesse Lingard, and while jellied eels are surprisingly scrumptious, having most of the creative onus on his shoulders, like a TikTok Atlas with vibes, is exactly what Lingard needs. This is an offer Newcastle can make; West Ham do not need to. His stints at both Uniteds show he is more than capable of shouldering the massive expectations of the Toon Army and, with Callum Wilson and St. Maximin, not to mention the Santiago Munez-wannabe Miguel Almiron, Newcastle should be able to score more than they concede.
DELE ALLI
Look, one recent performance notwithstanding, Mr. Dele Alli has been monumentally useless on the pitch, a shadow of that precocious, aggressive 21st century Gazza of the Poch era. He might well just need a fresh start in fresh environs and Newcastle might well just need an aggressive midfielder to drag the ball through the transitions and into attack. Alli would sit well alongside Lingard as part of a central attacking midfielder duo in front of a holding player, which correlates to what Eddie Howe envisions in an Isaac Hayden-less world. Alternatively, Antonio Conte probably has the self-belief to chase down the Concorde, let alone turn Alli’s career around. In an age where Donny van de Beek, Philipe Coutinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Edin Dzeko are realistic Newcastle buys for the media and Aaron Ramsey is the only other vaguely realistic Newcastle buy for reality, Dele Alli would prove perhaps the most potent signing, both football-wise and financially.
DAN ASHWORTH
While a temporary consultant in Nick Hammond is already in place for the January transfer window, a permanent Football Director is arguably the signing of greatest import for Newcastle, the difference between becoming Manchester City and Oldham Athletic. And Mr. Dan Ashworth, the man who famously pilloried Manchester United’s transfer strategy without explicitly stating their name, overhauled England’s fortunes as Director of Elite Development (including that DNA document), observed 300 matches a season during his time at West Brom, built the foundations of Brighton’s recent successes and continues to work in the Warwickshire county cricket setup, would be an impeccable choice.
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