With the rather onerous PSR deadline behind them, Newcastle United can now focus on incoming players for the upcoming season.
It has been widely stated that we are prioritising an improvement to the right wing position, which makes perfect sense considering that Minteh has already left and Miggy is still connected with a move to the Saudi Pro-League.
Who we are seeking appears to be a matter of considerable debate, and the club has been quite tight-lipped about the majority of our transfer targets since the change in ownership. With the exception of maybe Sven Botman, there haven’t been any long-running whispers about our “big” acquisitions in the last two years.
That being said, we’ve seen a number of names associated with a transfer to Newcastle United, each of which is genuine in their own way.
Of all the players touted for the Miggy Almiron position, the consensus appears to be that he is the most likely to make way for a new major arrival. Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United; 27 years old; Market Value £42 million; Likely Fee £50-60 million; Contract Length 6 Years)
Jarrod Bowen would have already become a Newcastle player if Mike Ashley hadn’t been so tight with his money.
All conditions were allegedly agreed upon with the player in 2020, but Ashley and Charnley had previously failed to get this one ‘over the line’.
Bowen, a mostly left-footed player who plays on the right, is well-known to most of us because he has been one of West Ham’s leading performers for the previous three seasons, scoring double digits in each. The most significant benefit Bowen has over our current RW alternatives is his goal contributions.
Last season in the Premier League, Bowen scored 16 goals and assisted 6 times, much exceeding his combined xG and xA of 17.2. Expected metrics have limitations, but when compared to actual goals and assists, I believe they provide insight into a player’s efficiency in the last third, and Bowen is constantly ruthless.
Our wide players under Eddie Howe have demonstrated the ability and willingness to contribute to the team’s defensive efforts, and Bowen is likely the strongest player on this (my) NUFC list in that sense. His defensive actions are divided evenly in each third of the pitch, which is a little unexpected given West Ham’s generally negative style, and his tackle success rate is only slightly behind Almrion’s at 37.1%.
Bowen’s weakness is arguably his ball control and dribbling; he has a successful take-on rate of 35.1%, which is significantly lower than Miggy’s, despite attempting more take-ons. While he is not the best dribbler, as evidenced by his 6 assists, he crosses the ball into the box significantly more than Miggy (75 vs 24), so he does a lot of effort in the attacking third.
Bowen, with his long contract and importance to West Ham, is perhaps the most costly of the right wingers linked with Newcastle, but he is also the best fit.
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